Choosing a Darker Path - Beginnings
by magicweb
Summary: Follow Harry Potter as he finds his true calling in the Wizarding World. Follow him as he carves his own path and proves that he is the most powerful wizard that will ever live. includes a Dark!Harry, Manipulative!Dumbledore and Harry/Draco. This is a SLASH fiction. If you are not into that sort of story, that is fine but you might not like later parts of this story.
1. Preface

Series: Choosing a Darker Path

Book 1: Beginnings

Series Preface

Hello everyone, this will be my first attempt at fanfiction, so hopefully I won't make too much of a fool of myself. I present to you a fanfiction of the ever-popular Harry Potter by J. K. Rowling.

I would like to begin by describing what this series is going to be and what is not going to be. Too often I feel that a story description does not really give the reader the best idea of what they are about to read and with the large number of stories out there I feel that it would be beneficial for my readers to understand what type of story that I am trying to present to them. This is especially true for this series since it will be quite long. To that end, the following will outline some elements of the story and the world that I intend to portray with Choosing a Darker Path. If you would rather read this story blind without the minor spoiling that may be below, please feel free to skip this and proceed to the prologue.

 **Genre:** This is primarily a Coming of Age story. It will contain elements of Action & Adventure and later on, Romance.

 **Scope** : The story will start from the Pre-Hogwarts years to after graduation form Hogwarts as Harry's goals in this story extend beyond the present conflict that is forced upon him.

 **Rating:** This is a mature story, it is intended for mature teenagers or adults and as such will contain elements of violence, profanity, sexual themes, horror themes, etc. My goal is to tell a much darker and realistic portrayal of the conflict presented in Harry Potter. The main stories presented a rose-tinted view of war and hope to correct that with a more grounded telling.

 **Main Paring:** Harry Potter/Draco Malfoy (There will be other relationships mentioned for other characters and harry will of course be attracted to other people but this is the main relationship that is explored in this series.)

 **Paring Type:** Slash (This applies to the main parring. Non-Slash parings are mentioned as they are the norm but this is the paring that I am going with for the main character)

 **Protagonist Characterization:** Harry will be the protagonist of this story and as such it will be primarily from his point of view. Since this is the case, it is important to keep in mind that my portrayal of Harry is a much darker version than cannon. It is my feeling that Harry's reactions to his early life situation, while possible for a child to experience, is not the way I wish to see him and I intend to explore a more cynical, intelligent, independent, cunning and ruthless Harry. Obviously for the plot to progress as I have outlined it, Harry will be homosexual in this story instead of heterosexual, as portrayed in cannon. It doesn't really affect his outlook and attitudes on most topics but does affect his choice in romantic partner.

 **Other Characterizations:** I will try to keep the characters as close to their book counterparts. However, keep in mind that Harry will likely not view them the same as he did in cannon due to his own change in perspective. Obviously for the sake of the plot I wish to show you, Draco Malfoy will be homosexual instead of heterosexual. This is simply a change that must be made to serve the story I would like to tell. This story may contain some implications about motivations of characters that may not line up with J. K. Rowling's opinion on the characters. I will try my best to paint the characters by their actions and not their supposed roles in the original story.

 **Story Structure:** As with cannon, I will likely comprise each story in the series to correspond with a school year in Harry's life. This may shift slightly depending on the needs of that time of the story but will generally remain. I believe that it is a fairly good structure for this type of story. Due to this structure, this series is going to be long and somewhat of a slow burn. However, I feel that the time I spend on each year will allow me to flush out the characters and explore some aspects of this world that the books do not. Another thing I am interested in allowing the reader to actually learn about the magic shown in the Harry Potter series. I always felt that we didn't really learn that much about magic in the books even though we spent 7 books with the characters. So, throughout the story there will be detailed explanations of magic and they will become more complex the more Harry learns. I will start with an amount of explanation that I feel is still enjoyable to read and may scale back or increase it depending on reader feedback.

 **Setting:** I am from the United States and as such I have a limited perspective on British Culture and Language. I will do my best to include places, slang, culture references, etc. as best I can to try to keep the setting authentic.

 **Author's Notes:** I welcome any constructive feedback that you guys would like to give me on this story. If you guys like the story, I would love to hear what you like about it. On the other hand, if something isn't working I would really like to hear about it and I may even change how the story plays out based upon feedback I receive. While I would like to tell the story that I have in mind, I would also like to tell a story that others enjoy. As far as schedule goes, this will be mostly written as I get it done. I would like to release at least one chapter every week if I could but I do not want to hold myself to that as I don't want to feel obligated to write something, as I believe it will cause quality to suffer. However, I do plan to release the prologue and chapter one of each story as I begin them, that way you guys have something to read upon release of each story. As far as chapter length goes, I will try to keep each chapter to about 7,000-10,000 words. This number could vary but is what I think will serve as enough content, keeping in mind the episodic schedule that fanfictions are released. Of course, if you wait for a few chapters to come out and simply binge it then this length would not matter to you that much I imagine.

A final note is that since this is my first story and I am new to this I do not have a beta to look over things so I hope you guys can trust my judgement and proofreading skills for a little while. I would love to get a beta or maybe even a few if the story gets a decent amount of views. If you are interested in this, send me a private a message and we can talk about it.

Well that was a lot to cover there but I feel it is important to get all that out of the way. Hope that everyone enjoys Choosing a Darker Path!


	2. Prologue

Series: Choosing a Darker Path

Book 1: Beginnings

Prologue

 **October 31** **st** **, 1981. Godric's Hollow**

It was a cold October night as Voldemort approached the small cottage of the supposed child of prophecy. Voldemort was certainly an imposing figure. The Dark Lord was a tall aged man who more resembled a cross between a snake and a man. He had pale skin and no real nose to speak of, instead he simply had slit nostrils that conformed to the front of his face. He wore pure black robes that were made of fine silk. However, the most prominent feature of Voldemort were his blood read eyes that promised death should one displease him. Voldemort had never been one to put any stock at all into the _art_ of divination and would normally ignore such nonsense. But he was so very close to defeating the muggle loving fool Albus Dumbledore and his thrice dammed Order of the Phoenix. He could not risk anything stopping him now. Not with what was at stake. The fools that made up the vast majority of the Light were deluded. They thought that they could co-exist with the muggles, find common ground. Voldemort scoffed at the idea. Muggles were worthless, there was no common ground to be had. Muggles only knew violence, bigotry and hate. They feared what they did not understand and they attack that which they feared. His childhood had taught him everything he needed to know with regards to muggles. He had to win this war so he could steer the Wizarding World in the direction he knew they needed to go.

Even if he found the idea of anyone being his downfall laughable at best, he would not let his well-founded confidence in his own abilities blind him. He remembered that he had scrapped out of the dredges of society to become the most powerful wizard of his age and this child, this Harry Potter, could do the same if he was allowed to live and be trained. Voldemort would not let that happen.

As his throughs shifted from his goal to how he had come here in the first place. He inwardly smirked. The Potters were far too trusting of those they shouldn't have been. For the life of him, Voldemort was not sure why James Potter or Lilly Potter weren't their own secret keeper. It seemed to make the most sense to Voldemort. Never trust someone with your life, that was how he had lived. But regardless, the fact that the Potters had put their life in the hands of the rat Wormtail was all the better for him. That one had been his creature for years, the sniveling coward.

Perhaps they thought to be clever and divert all of the intensity of his focus onto James' best friend Sirius Black? Though if that were the case, why they wouldn't use someone that wasn't so well known to be their friend, Voldemort couldn't fathom. Even if their ruse had worked and he believed Black was the secret keeper, did the idiots really think that he wouldn't target Black, the wolf and the rat? And failing that, anyone else until he found the one who had the information he sought? It just goes to show that when Gryffindors try to be cunning, it leads to disaster.

Voldemort had now reached the small gate that led to the ground of the cottage the Potters were staying at. He sneered at the lowly accommodations that they had chosen. To think that Potter, a member of an old pureblood family would live in such a _humble_ home was an insult. The manner that he had found James' father and mother use to stay in before their deaths not one year prior at Rodolphus' hands. Not only that but as Voldemort reached out with his magic to feel for the wards around the structure he was flabbergasted at what he found.

"They cannot be serious" he though derisively.

His magic was only giving him the impression of the Fidelius Charm, crude anti-apparition/anti-port key wards, and a very simple identification charm that prevented those not keyed into it from entering the area. Beside the Fidelius, which he could cross already, the other wards were extremely underpowered for the level of importance the Light was placing on the protection of the family.

"What is Dumbledore playing at?" Voldemort though.

Voldemort raised his wand and swiped it viciously at the wards he felt. He did not cast a spell per say, he simply put his intent to cross the wards behind a tendril his raw magic as it flowed through the yew wood of his wand. He smirked as the wards magic flared and died.

"This is simply too easy." He though as he strolled lazily down the broken stone path towards the house.

He waved his wand lazily and felt the familiar oppressive feeling as his wards were raised around the property and good many blocks around the home. His eyes roomed the windows glowing with faint light. He could see shadowy figures moving with some haste. It appeared that he had alerted them to his presence. It was no matter, he wanted them to at least put up somewhat of a challenge for him. He had to stave off the boredom after all. He walked towards the door and raised his wand.

"Bombarda" he though lazily. The air just in front of his wand shimmered as a barely noticeable transparent ball of energy raced towards the door. Upon contact the door exploded into a satisfying cloud of shrapnel. Voldemort proceeded at a steady pace into the front room, checking for any threats. He slid back slightly to avoid a red light that flew out of the corner of his left eye.

"A stunning spell" he thought, "How quaint. Someone is not playing to win".

Upon looking to the source of the stupefy, Voldemort was met with a defiant looking James Potter sporting a determined expression. Voldemort gave a slight bow before giving him a terrifying smile. James Potter was average in height and had a strong jaw and cheekbones but his face was soft in complexion. His rat's nest of hair was ruffled and unkempt as usual and his hazel eyes narrowed behind his black rimmed glasses.

"Hello James, fancy seeing you here".

"Voldemort" James snarled. "I will not allow you to hurt my family. I will destroy you before I let you touch my wife and son"

"Oh no?" Voldemort said giving him a sarcastic chuckle. "I am afraid that your bravado will get you nowhere with me Potter." He peered at him quizzically and raised his wand. "Shall we begin?" Voldemort quipped.

 **Meanwhile Upstairs…**

Lilly Potter was absolutely terrified. She was very fair and had long brown hair, tined with a hint of red. She was rather skinny giving her an agile form and her eyes were brilliant green. Voldemort had come for her Harry and it seemed that their only real protection had been lost to them. She loathed to think what must have happened to Peter.

"How did he know it was Peter?", she though distraughtly. She certainly hopped that Peter would not have given in to Voldemort but it seemed that he had not been able to stand the torture the evil man no doubt put him under. She was skeptical of Sirius' idea about the secret keeper. However, James seemed to think it was a good idea and she wanted to trust her husband's judgement.

"Damnit" she though angrily. She couldn't be thinking about what ifs or dwelling on mistakes that she or James may have made right now. A blast from downstairs told her that Voldemort had come into the house. She started at Harry, her precious son. He looked at her with knowing eyes that reflected her own worries.

"He knows something is wrong" she thought dejectedly. That though alone sent a wave of despair through her. She shook her head to clear her mind and pulled her wand from her pocket in her Jeans. She then picked up the knife that she had grabbed from the potions kit she kept in James and her bedroom and drew it across her palm. The blood began to flow and she put the tip of her wand to It pulling strings of blood from her wound and weaving them like a grotesque thread and began to draw complicated runes under the crib that she had place Harry in. This was not the kind of magic that she would normally approve of but if blood magic would save her child, then she would do it. She would do anything for her little boy. She could hear blasts of magic and could feel the massive shifts of the building with the cacophony of spells that permeated a no doubt spectacular duel between her husband and the monster Voldemort.

"His final duel" Lilly sulked bitterly. She had finished the illustrations of runes and now she bit her lip before breathing in deeply. "It's for harry" she thought as she began the most important aspect of this twisted magic she now was using.

"I, Lily Jane Potter nee Evans swear on my magic and life that I love my son Harry James Potter with all my heart and am willing to sacrifice myself for him." As she finished her oath, a flash of white light shined around her sealing her vow and her fate. She pointed her want at the hidden runes and said in a clear voice "Hostias Praesidium". A tendril of orange magic flowed from her wand and attached itself to the anchor points of the wards. The tendril then attached itself to Lilly and the wards glowed bright orange. Finally, a large orange bubble appeared around the crib. It shimmered for a moment and then dissipated. She felt the extreme exhaustion that such a powerful and dark charm put on her. She was not accustomed to casting such powerful magic and certainly wasn't accustomed to magic that was so opposed to her typical magic, which rarely even moved in the grey spectrum. She took a moment to smile at her baby boy and his entire demeanor seemed to relax with that simple gesture. It seemed that he instinctually knew that he was safe now, or at the very least as safe as she could make him. She looked him in the eyes and placed her hand in his soft hair.

"You are so loved Harry. Remember that no matter that we are not there for you." She barely contained the croak that threatened to come out and forced her eyes closed as tears began to well in her yes. She composed herself and said In the softest voice possible "we will always love you."

It was at this point that Lilly noticed that the loud noises downstairs had ceased and for a fleeting moment she hopped that James had somehow defeated Voldemort. But the traitorous rational part of her mind swiftly dispelled that illusion. That small voice that she pretended not to her, even though it was in her own head, hissed the truth of the matter. Silence could only mean that her husband was dead and Voldemort was coming.

She banished the knife she used back to her bedroom, healed her hand and turned toward the door. She could feel nothing but determination. She now had to trick one of the evilest man that she had ever had the displeasure of meeting. She had to convince him that she had not done anything and on top of that she needed to put up a mask of that showed him what he wanted to see: a defenseless mother racked by grief for her lot in life. She needed him to believe that she was at his mercy. After all, she knew that she would need to die for the shield she had created to truly gain the power necessary to be effective against one with the level of power that Voldemort had.

"I can do this" she said in a steady voice.

"For Harry" she repeated in her mind.

 **Downstairs…**

Voldemort smirked as he dodged a cutting curse that James threw at him. He was even mildly impressed with the power of it. He was having quite a fun time toying with the eldest Potter. They had traded a great many curses and while his were fairly dark on the whole he was amused that a few were slightly dark on James' part as well. It appeared he had stuck a nerve with the man.

"How cute" he thought. It wasn't as if the mudblood had tried to leave with the brat. He would have felt it if she had tried to vacate the premises. No, precious Lilly Potter was cowering in one of the bedrooms upstairs with the boy. He could have his fun toying with the Potter scion for a bit longer and then finish off the mudblood and her spawn.

"Confringo" he drawled in his mind. The orangish-red blast of energy leapt from his wand and detonated the wall behind James and caused a chunk of the wall to fall off and hit him on the back of his head. Voldemort twirled his wand as James clutched his badly bleeding scalp. He gave him a chastising grin.

"Tsk tsk tsk James" he said mockingly. "It appears you were a bit too slow". As James attempted to recover and moved his hands to raise his wand, Voldemort slashed his wand in a diagonal cut. A violet shimmering blade swiftly sailed to James' wand arm. The dark cutting curse sliced deep into James' wrist causing a cascade of blood to pour from the wound and James to drop his wand as he moaned in obvious pain.

"Well Potter, it has been fun. But I have a date with the rest of your family so we must cut this little distraction of ours short". He pointed his wand center mass and hissed "Avada Kedavra". A flash of bright green light bathed the hall with its glow and once it faded the Dark Lord was met with the lifeless stare of James Potter, all the light gone from his once defiant hazel eyes.

"Pity, you could have been so much more" Voldemort said. He then hopped up the stairs taking them two at a time. It was time to deal with the mudblood and then finish his purpose here. After all, he had a government to finish overthrowing and a glorious world to build. As he strode down the hall, he could see a cracked door with light flowing from it. Clearly the place dear Lilly had fled to lay just beyond. He placed his pale hand on the door and gently shoved it open, wand at the ready.

Once the room was visible to him, he saw Lilly Potter leaning against the crib and staring at him with clear fear in her eyes. His smirk showed his satisfaction. Though he did reflect that it was odd the why she didn't even have her wand out. No matter, if she was so frozen in fear as to not fight him then it might make granting his servant's request a little easier. For dear Severus had begged so sweetly for the mudblood's life and he was not one to deny his most loyal followers something as simple as that. Especially considering that Snape had given up the prophecy that led to this very moment. His thoughts were interrupted by a ear piercing shriek.

"Not Harry, please take me instead". Voldemort grimaced at the sound. Perhaps this would not be as easy as he had hoped.

"Step aside you silly girl. You need not die here".

"No anything but Harry, please" she begged, clasping her hands together. While Voldemort was usually amused by such displays, he began to grow irritated. He had already spent too much time here and needed to finish this. His Death Eaters were probably already finished with the Longbottoms, of course dependent upon the amount of fun sweat Bella wanted to have.

"One last chance for you girl. Stand…...aside" he whispered in a deadly quiet voice to her as he looked deep into the pools of emotion that were her eyes.

"Take me instead…" she said softly, trailing off. Tears began to streak on her face as she looked utterly defeated.

Voldemort stared at her for a moment before sighing. His follower would just have to understand, and if not, well he could get a new potions master. Perhaps not one as talented, but he would just have to make do. "Avada Kedavra" he snapped out and the thump of Lilly's body slumped to the floor as the green light faded. He slowly made his way over to the crib missing the very subtle crackle of energy on the floor linking the runes to the prone form of Lilly Potter. He no doubt would have noticed if he were not so focused on the final member of the Potter family. He stared at the young toddler stranding in the crib, looking at his off into space. The boy had similar facial features to his father, however he clearly inherited his small nose and more rounded jaw from his mother. His hair was almost as bad of a bird's nest as his father's. But the most striking feature off the young boy were his eyes that were early similar to the curse that took the child's parents.

"You know boy…" Voldemort said softly. At the sound of Voldemort's voice, the boy seemed to snap his attention to him and stare intently. While at the back of his mind he was slightly on unnerved at the intensity with which the boy gazed, he continued nevertheless. "…It didn't have to be this way. Your parents could have lived had they not been so foolish. They could have joined the right side of this war. Sure, your mother was a mudblood, but despite this undeniable flaw, she was talented. In the end that is all that really would have mattered to me. And your father, well…he certainly didn't have to be so bloody light. It isn't as if the Potter's have always been so _pure._ But no, he just had to follow in his blood traitor father's footsteps, didn't he?" Voldemort let out a hallow laugh and almost coughed when he saw the understanding in the child's eyes? The child surely didn't actually process what he was saying to him. Voldemort wasn't really speaking for the child's benefit. He was mostly thinking out loud. He shook his head ruefully and raised his wand.

"Goodbye, Harry Potter. Such a waste. Avada Kedavra". Voldemort watched as the streak of green light headed towards the boy and then impacted with a blinding orange light surrounding the crib. He felt the pull on his wand and he could not move as the green bolt linked with the shield brightened and he felt his magic being drained. Both magics, grew in brilliance until he saw miniscule fractures in the sphere preventing his spell from impacting the boy.

"This could not be possible!" Voldemort thought furiously as he tried to pry his wand away from the now firmly attached chain of dark magic. No magical barrier can stop any unforgivable curse, especially the killing curse. He watched as a slim strand of his spell finally sliced through the shield protecting the brat. It swiped like a whip across the child's forehead and weakly dissipated. A trickle of blood to flowed down the boy's face. It was at this point that the last of Voldemort's available magic reserved had faltered and he could no longer feed the chain energy and it snuffed out finally releasing its hold on him. However, this did not occur until an equally bright flash of green light sped towards him after building up on the surface of the shield. Voldemort though he would have enough time to avoid it but he was wrong, dead wrong. The rebounded killing curse hit him in his shoulder blade and all he knew was pain.

"Pain, why is there pain? There shouldn't be pain?" were his last panicked thoughts as the curse ripped his soul from what was left of his body. His violent scream could be heard as a massive explosion rocked the remains of the Potter home and blew a chunk out of the wall opposite the crib, bringing a section of the roof caving in. The blast wave destroyed the remaining weak shield that still surrounded Harry who was now clutching at his forehead. The residual force threw the injured boy to the back of the crib slamming his head on the railing and rendering the boy unconscious.

As the roar created by the magical explosion died down, all that could be heard was silence. Yet not all was still in Harry Potter's bedroom as an invisible soul shard sought out its master. It tried to find the closest thing it could to its master's magic and soon embedded itself in the swirling pool of dark magic on the face of the prone child. As it merged with the boy's body, its feeble intelligence sought to protect its new vessel and began to heal the damage the boy had suffered. The gash on the back of the boy's head healed and the cut on his forehead closed. All that was left was nothing but a pronounced lighting shaped scar.

 **Author's Notes:** Well that is it for the prologue, next chapter we see the aftermath of that faithful night and begin to set the stage for the years to come. What will happen to Harry and how will his life change. Find out in the next chapter "The Boy Who Lived"


	3. Chapter 1: The Boy Who Lived

Series: Choosing a Darker Path

Book 1: Beginnings

Chapter 1: The Boy Who Lived

 **October 31** **st** **, 1981. Tottenham, London**

Sirius Black was sitting in a muggle club enjoying what little peace he could find these days. Sirius had long dark curls that framed around a very sharp and aristocratic face. He had high cheek bones and a rigid jaw. His eyes were a dark brown and glittered with mischief. If for not the muggle attire he currently sported, some would say he was of perfect pureblood pedigree. He was currently in hiding due to the present circumstances. As such, he had rented a small flat in a rather shabby part of London. This was part of the plan to keep the heat off of Peter. He was sure that the Death Eaters would look to him as James and Lily's secret keeper, due to his close friendship with James. Sirius grew up in a most _Ancient and Nobile_ family and he knew for a fact that the delicate purebloods and wizard raised halfbloods avoided the Muggle World like the plague. Consequently, they didn't have any semblance of navigation when they were forced to go there and stood out like a sore thumb to boot. It made blending in and keeping out of sight that much easier for Sirius. As long as he remained safe, then they would have no reason to go after the real secret keeper, Peter. Before Sirius went into hiding, James had insisted on giving him a small necklace that was charmed by a brilliant little spell Lily had developed. The necklace was tied into the alarm aspect of the wards at Godric's Hollow. Should the wards ever be breached, the charm would become extremely hot and Sirius would know his friends were in trouble.

Sirius was enjoying the Halloween festivities that the club put on. He snickered at the muggle theme of the year: Vampires. "Oh, if only the muggles knew how truly terrifying Vampires really were" he thought light-heartedly. The smile that graced his face soon vanished as his chest began to burn causing him to pale considerably. Upon pulling out the necklace, he realized that it was indeed the source of the heat. He bolted out of seat and sprinted through the crowd of muggles. He began shoving people out of the way, ignoring the various shouts and curses. It seemed as the club's pulsing techno beat became a soundtrack to his maneuvers. After what felt like an eternity, but was surly only a few minutes, he arrived in one of the hallways that led to the loo. After entering the hall, he looked around and with no muggles within the immediate vicinity, he whipped out his wand and turned on the spot.

 **October 31** **st** **, 1981. Godric's Hollow**

After the crushing sensation of apparition abated, Sirius found himself staring at the main square of Godric's Hollow.

"Damn" Sirius cursed vehemently.

He was knocked off course. That only meant one thing. Anti-Apparition wards must have been around Godric's Hallow. These must have been new as the wards that James had put up only extended to the edge of the property. Indeed, as he thought about it, these wards msust have been very powerful to knock him this far from the home. There was nothing for it, he stumbled as he began to run and veered down the main road. He was ten minutes from the Potter household if he really huffed it. Of course, that is exactly what he did. His friend's lives were in danger. His godson's life was also in danger. And loath as he was to admit it, since he really did love James as a brother, his godson was important. As he ran he could only think about one thing.

"Don't let me be too late".

Sirius arrived at the cottage just in time to be slammed to the ground by an explosion. He had no idea what could have caused this. But, considering the current situation, it couldn't be anything good. As soon as the spinning in his head had stopped and the ringing in his ears became less prominent, he shakily pulled himself onto his feet. He began to jog to the open hole that used to be the front door. Entering the front room, he knew something was very wrong. It was too quiet, much to quiet. His eyes narrowed and he spotted a something on the ground. He quickly moved over to it. But once he got closer, his chest tightened.

The constricting ache he felt reflected a violent mix of anger and grief as his eyes looked upon the prone body of his best friend. James' battered and bloody corpse lay sprawled on the ground with his head leaning against the wall near the stairs. He felt like his world was collapsing around him and had he not felt the pull of his godfather bond, he may have sunk into despair. But once that bond asserted itself in his mind, he realized with a mix of elation and hysteria that his godson must still be alive. Forcing his eyes closed and taking a deep breath, he tore his gaze away from the body of his best friend and began the arduous task of climbing the stairs.

Upon reaching the top, Sirius walked down the dark hallway. It seemed that the electric lighting in the home had gone out and as he approached the twisted door of Harry's bedroom, he felt the district draft of open air. He roughly pushed on the door that seemed to have been fussed to the frame and was met with a loud groan of wood bending and breaking as he forced his way into the bedroom. Finally entering the room, he fully took in the carnage before him.

He nostrils were assaulted with a pungent smell of leaking water, and smoke? He realized that a small fire had started on the carpeting of the room towards the far corner. He quickly extinguished the flames with a swipe of his wand. Speaking of that corner of the room, all he could see was the outside air and the precariously hanging ceiling. He looked down and his eyes were immediately drawn to a distinct blast pattern centering on a spot in the middle of the carpet. As he inspected the damage to the floor, he saw the form of Lilly. If he didn't know any better, he could simply say that she was sleeping. There was only one problem with that impression, and that was her eyes. They were not closed like they would be if she were simply sleeping. No, they were open wide, forming a terrified expression. Yet again Sirius almost collapsed in grief upon seeing her sweet face twisted such it had never been in the all the years that he had known her. But yet again, his godfather bond put a strain on his magic. He was yet again reminded of his responsibility. He looked to the crib and tears of joy sprang in his eyes. In front of him was a still breathing Harry.

Sirius moved over to the crib and scooped his unconscious godson into his arms. He buried his face into the young boy's neck, taking in his sent. He did this if only to ensure that the boy was truly real. "His godson was safe" he thought as he began to finally relax. He choked out a sob and simply squeezed the boy tightly. After a few moments, he placed the boy on the floor and ran his wand over him. He was never very good at healing, but he could at least cast a basic diagnostic charm. The charm caused the boy to glow faintly for a moment before smoke rose from his body and displayed the results as wisps of text. Harry had a concussion and was under a severe amount of stress, but was otherwise unharmed. Sirius quickly pointed his wand at the boy's face and whispered "Rennervate".

Sirius nearly jumped for joy when Harry slowly opened his eyes. The boy gave Sirius a weak smile and Sirius quickly scooped the boy up and retreated from the room, wanting to spare Harry the sight of Lilly. He quickly walked down the hallway and pushed Harry's head into his shoulder. He sped down the stairs rapidly and immediately out onto the front lawn. He sat on the grass and simply rubbed Harry's back. Whether it was to soothe Harry or himself he was not sure. After a few minutes of this his resolve broke completely and he began to sob. He began to rock back and forth and he felt the toddler's arms wrap around his neck, seeming to be offering him comfort. He laughed a hollow laugh at the actions of his godson. To think that he the adult was being comforted by a child barely older than a baby.

After about five minutes of simply sitting with Harry in his arms, he heard the telltale cracks of apparition and his hand clapped tightly around his wand. After a tense moment, he realized that the men who had arrived were Aurors. While he was still warry of the newcomers he didn't want to antagonize them if they truly were the allies they appeared to be. A man in his mid-thirties with a disheveled appearance walked up to him and spoke with a gruff voice.

"We are responding to an alert by Chief Warlock Albus Dumbledore. He informed us that the Potters may have been attacked by Voldemort's Forces"

Sirius stared up at the man with a look of indignation. "Took you long enough" he snapped in a cold tone.

"Apologies, but this was the soonest we could mobilize. Was there an attack or not?" he asked simply, ignoring Sirius clear anger.

"Yes…. James and Lilly are dead. They are inside" Sirius bit out barely containing his loathing.

"Alright. Jenson watch him while I take Williamson, Savage, Scrimgeour, and Proudfoot inside to investigate" the Auror barked out. He then proceeded with the other four Aurors to move into the house.

A roar in the distance caught Sirius and Jenson's attention and Sirius looked around for the source, yet found none. A moment of clarity washed over him and he looked up at the sky. There was a small dot that he knew could only be one thing, Hagrid. He had leant the friendly giant of a man his flying motorbike a few weeks ago and the man should still have it. Sirius' mind was preoccupied with grim thoughts as he watched the motorbike slowly grow larger and larger in the night sky.

"Where is Peter, what happened to him? Did the Death Eaters somehow find him and how in the blazes did they figure out he was the secret keeper? As soon as Harry is safe I need to find him and figure out what happened. I owe that to James and Lilly." Sirius let these thoughts roll around his mind until he was startled by the distinctive screech of tires as Hagrid had landed and now was pulling towards the house. The giant cut the engine and as gracefully as he could, he disentangled himself from the motorbike. Hagrid was a twice as tall as any man you would see. He had to have giants blood in him somehow. He had a full healthy beard that covered most of his face. He walked up to Sirius at a faster pace than Sirius was accustomed to seeing him. Hagrid bid Jenson hello and explained that he was there on Dumbledore's orders. Hagrid stared at Sirius for a second, his brown eyes widening in surprise before speaking in his hardy voice.

"Oh, Sirius I didn't realize ya were here. Dumbledore said that James and Lilly's wards been triggered he said." Hagrid looked at him with coked head for a moment and then exclaimed "Oy! Is little Harry alright there?"

Sirius looked at Hagrid for a moment before responding that Harry was fine.

"James and Lilly?" Hagrid questioned apprehensively.

Sirius shook his head and looked at the ground. Hagrid choked back a sob and simply looked lost. Then he put his chin up with determination and began to speak again.

"Dumbledore told me to bring lil' Harry to Hog'arts." Sirius eyes snapped to the giant's face as he said this.

"I don't know Hagrid, I really think I should keep Harry with me" Sirius said hoarsely. Hagrid looked a little put out by Sirius' statement and twisted his hands nervously. He began to speak again.

"Come on Sirius. This is Dumbledore We're talkin' 'bout. You know he wouldn't ask if he didn't think it was 'portant. 'Sides the little tike should have Madam Pomfrey look him over just be safe, eh?"

Sirius didn't really like this idea that much but then he thought about Peter and finding out what caused all of this to happen. He nodded solemnly at Hagrid and began to hand Harry over to him. Harry began to squirm and began to cry out in protest. Sirius looked at his young godson sorrowfully and gave him a weak grin and simply stated that everything would be alright. He ran his fingers through Harry's hair and this seemed to cow the child for the moment.

"I will be back with you soon. I promise Harry" Sirius said.

Hagrid began to wrap Harry up in a blanket he produced from a hidden pocket in his moleskin cloak and placed Harry on his hip. Jensen informed Hagrid that someone would be at Hogwarts to report on the Aurors' findings as soon as they were able. Hagrid nodded and slipped back on to the motorbike. A moment later the large vehicle roared to life and Hagrid jetted down the street and was soon airborne. Sirius stared after the dark spot in the sky longingly until it had gotten too far up for him to continue to follow it. He cast his gaze back towards the grass and began pulling at it absent-mindedly while he thought about what he wanted to do next.

Soon the head Auror, Sirius never did seem to ask him his name, returned and began to question Sirius about his role in tonight's events. After Sirius gave him a synopsis of the proceeding hours, the Auror seemed sated for the moment.

"You will come into the Auror office tomorrow for further questioning and so we can take an official statement. However, given the circumstances I see no reason not to let you go for now. I will tell you however, that I am fairly certain you will not need to worry about Voldemort any longer" the Auror said in his gruff voice that never seemed to change no matter what he was speaking about.

Sirius' head shot up so fast that he was certain to have whiplash. "What?" he said, the disbelief evident in his voice. The Auror just seemed to stare at him blankly until finally explaining.

"After preliminary diagnostic charms had been cast, we can say that it seems that Voldemort exchanged several spells with Lord Potter and eventually killed him with the killing curse. As far as Lady Potter goes, it seems that Voldemort either cornered her without her wand ready or she was taken by surprise as there doesn't seem to have been a struggle in the upstairs bedroom which we assume belongs to the Potter heir. Lady Potter was killed by a single killing curse" the Auror was about to continue when Sirius interrupted him.

"While I love to hear how my friends died…." Sirius bit out, his voice dripping with sarcasm and contempt "…I fail to see how this means Voldemort is no longer a concern." The Auror quickly placed his hands up in a gesture of surrender and quickly stated that he was getting there.

"Mr. Black, we also found that a single killing curse was fired in the direction of the crib but seems to not have made impact on any surface within the room. At this time we do not want to speculate how but it seems as though the curse was…... _rebounded._ As I have stated we do not want to speculate on the circumstances too much until more tests can be run. But, from our initial sweep it seems that while no body exists it is clear that this curse struck Voldemort as his magical signature is present within the epicenter of the charred carpet. We believe that his death is what caused the explosion that damaged the home. However, this is only what we can determine right now. As I have said more testing is needed. But I don't see anyway anyone could have survived that".

As the Auror finished his explanation, Sirius was slacked jawed. "Could Voldemort really be dead?" He thought. He didn't know if it was possible, but he had other matters to attend to. "Thank you. I really must be going. I have had a long and trying night tonight. I will be at the ministry as soon as I can to give my official statement" Sirius said trying to remain as calm as possible. Dead Voldemort or not, they still didn't arrive in time to save James and Lilly. The Auror gave him a quick jerk of his head and turned to go back into the house motioning for Jensen to follow him.

"I need to find Peter" Sirius though as he pulled out his wand and apparated.

 **October 31** **st** **, 1981. Infirmary Ward, Hogwarts**

Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, Order of Merlin – First Class, Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards paced back and forth as his mind raced to come up with a plan of action. The deceptively aged looking professor stroked his long white beard that for not the tie that held it about his center chest would have stretched to his knees. "So many possibilities" he thought. An Auror had arrived at Hogwarts a few hours ago to give an initial report to him on what had transpired at Godric's Hollow. If the initial findings were accurate then Dumbledore's plans had born fruit. Ever since Sybil Trelawney had delivered her prophecy in the Hogg's Head, Dumbledore had quickly formed plans for the savior child. There were two possibilities for a child of the prophecy. Harry Potter and Neville Longbottom. Both fit the prophecy's criteria, though Harry did match it better. Though the more Dumbledore though about it now the more the child of prophecy being Harry Potter made more sense. The Dark Lord would need to mark him as his equal and that scar that now blemished the boy's forehead was the best mark Dumbledore could imagine. And now little Harry had managed to defeat Tom. How Dumbledore was not sure. He had his suspicions that the love Lilly had for Harry may have played a part. "Love was the purest form of magic, after all" he thought cheerfully. However, he would have to examine the scene himself before he could make any concreate conclusions. Either way, Harry Potter would be hailed as their savior, Dumbledore had no doubt of that.

Just as the clock stroked 11:00PM, the doors to the infirmary opened and Hogwarts' Infirmary matron Madam Poppy Pomfrey stepped out into the hall. Madam Pomfrey was a plump woman with gray hair, fair complexion, brilliant blue eyes and a kind face which seemed to help relax her patients. She peered at Dumbledore and he gave her a charming smile as he stopped pacing. She returned his smile before speaking in a hushed tone.

"Albus, I have finished my tests and while the boy is alright physically, I am gravely concerned." The no nonsense matron gave a fleeting glare of annoyance as she thought about the results of her numerous in-depth diagnostic charms. Albus raised an eyebrow and gestured with his hand and bid the matron to continue with her explanation. "Well…" she started. "The boy has a mild concussion but it seems that the actual injury that caused it has healed itself. Accidental magic, no doubt."

"No doubt" Dumbledore commented dryly.

"As I was saying…" Madam Pomfrey continued. "The boy is also showing preliminary signs of minor magical exhaustion which I am fairly certain is due to his magic needing to heal the injuries he sustained. His magical core shows minor signs of stress which I would normally chock up to the trying night he has had were it not for the results that concern me the most." She paused for a moment.

"And those are, Poppy?" Dumbledore inquired.

"Well, his rather noticeable scar is teaming with dark magic." She said gravely. "I have tired countless times to purge it form the wound but it seems to be buried under the skin and is resistant to every healing charm I know. I consulted with Horus and he seems to have no potion based remedy that he can think of either once I gave him the results of my diagnostic spells. I have been able to determine that there is a thin link between the boy's magical core and this concentration of dark magic. As of yet, there seems to be little to no magical transfer between the two areas but as you can imagine I am still warry about leaving such a potential danger in the boy. But right now I am stumped on what do. I could consult some specialists from Saint Mongos. Perhaps…"

"Do you really believe that to be necessary, Poppy?" Dumbledore interrupted.

"Albus, yes I would think so. They might know more than I do and I do not want to neglect to peruse any possibilities of healing the boy." Poppy said.

"Yes, but do you really think anyone will be able to do anything about it?" His voice soft and grave.

"Well likely not, but Albus I must insist…" She began.

"I understand, I really do Poppy" Dumbledore said in a placating tone. "However, I must request that we do not involve anyone outside of the Order in this matter. I am concerned for Mr. Potter's safety. Whether or not the speculation of the Aurors on the scene at Godric's Hollow is true does not lessen the danger that Mr. Potter could potentially face." Dumbledore said as if giving a lesion. "We must be vigilant in protecting the child. If you say that you do not believe he is in immediate danger, I could attempt to put a magical block between the concentrated dark magic and young Harry's magical core. That way the dark magic cannot harm the boy" Dumbledore concluded.

Madam Pomfrey looked skeptical but after a few moments of Dumbledore giving her a pleading look, she acquiesced. "I suppose if you did institute the block it would be okay for him. I would want to monitor him for a few hours before I can release him." Dumbledore beamed at her.

"As always Poppy you are most gracious with this old man's requests and always keep the safety of your charges a top priority" Dumbledore chirped in a gleeful tone. Madam Pomfrey looked less than impressed.

"Albus you will find that flattery will simply garner a response of 'Don't push your luck'" Poppy said in a cool tone. Dumbledore bowed his head in submission as he knew he may have gone a little overboard.

"Well, I will cast the block on Harry and then I will let you get back to work" Dumbledore replied. He then swiftly but with quiet grace slipped into the infirmary and put the necessary block on the connection between Harry's magical core and the dark magic pool in his scar. He simply hopped it would be enough.

"Good night Poppy" he said softly after he had finished.

"Good night, Albus" Madam Pomfrey replied in a warm tone.

 **November 1** **st** **, 1981. Headmasters Office, Hogwarts**

Albus Dumbledore sat in his office contemplating. He needed to find a place for Harry to go. He knew Sirius would gladly take in the boy, but that would just not do. Harry needed to have a certain attitude if he were to fulfill his role as savior of the Wizarding World. Dumbledore needed the boy to not have a big head and to be humble in everything. He needed the boy to be very, for lack of a better term Gryffindorish. Brave, loyal, humble, all good traits it seemed to Dumbledore. However, the most important trait he needed Harry Potter to have was malleability. For the greater good, Harry needed to play his part. Harry may have defeated Tom for the moment. But, Dumbledore had suspected Tom had taken drastic actions to put _protections_ in place in case of an issue just like this. Dumbledore would help guide the boy for he knew that eventually Tom and Harry would cross paths once again. They had to for Tom to be finished once and for all. However, in order to give Harry the assistance he would require. Dumbledore needed the boy to listen to him unquestioningly. "But how do I create circumstances to shape the child exactly as I would wish" Dumbledore contemplated intently. "He must be away from the Wizarding World" Dumbledore decided. It would be the only way he could avoid his fame and not get to arrogant. After all, Harry was James' son and while Dumbledore had loved James like the son he never had, he would freely admit that the man had always thought he was better and more powerful than he actually was. To make things worse, Harry would actually be powerful enough to back up a bit of arrogance. He wasn't sure how he would deal with Sirius Black yet, but he was sure he would come up with something.

Dumbledore had been able to read over the diagnostic charms that Poppy had cast on young Harry's magical core. If the readings were correct, and Dumbledore had no reason to believe they weren't, the boy would be shockingly powerful by the time he had reached Hogwarts age, let alone his magical majority. Dumbledore leaned back in his chair. "Where in the Muggle World should I put the boy?" Dumbledore thought. And then the answer hit him. "Petunia Evans, No Dursley now" Dumbledore corrected himself. "Yes, Petunia was such a sweet girl begging me to attend Hogwarts with Lilly" Dumbledore remembered. He had to reject her of course, she was only a muggle and had no magic to use. He would need to encourage her to give Harry the environment that would suit him. He wanted her to raise Harry in a very strict and constricting environment. He couldn't allow too much freedom during the crucial early years of Harry's development. He needed the boy to not like his home life very much. It didn't have to be horrible by any means, it just simply needed to be nothing compared to the life Dumbledore could offer him at Hogwarts. The boy would come to depend on Dumbledore and would do anything the Headmaster asked him to, if only to stay in such an enchanting place such as Hogwarts.

It was at this point that Dumbledore came to a second decision. The boy could not know he was a wizard at all. Not until the moment he would receive his letter. This would give his home life a contrast of boredom and mediocrity compared to his school life. Yes, this was all coming together nicely in his head. Now to put it to practice. Dumbledore pulled out parchment and ink from his desk drawer and pulled a quill from the holder on his desk. He began to pen a letter to Petunia. As he finished the letter, he tapped the parchment with his wand which caused it to fold into perfect thirds and he slipped it into a parchment envelope and addressed it to Petunia. That finished he stood up and walked to his fireplace. He grabbed a small bit of floo powder and threw it into the crackling fire. Once the flames turned he green called out "Deputy Headmistress' Office, Hogwarts" in a clear voice. He stuck his head into the flames and after a brief spinning sensation, he could see the office of Minerva McGonagall. He saw said woman leaning over some paper's, no doubt grading some students work or another.

"Minerva, would be so kind as to join me in my office" he asked her politely. McGonagall stood up and began walking towards the fireplace. Dumbledore backed up quickly and after a "whoosh" from the fireplace saw the ever-stern looking face of his deputy. Minerva McGonagall was a woman in her mid-sixties. She had brown hair tied into a bun that showed her long and wrinkled face. She wore round high end spectacles over her green eyes that could pierce into a student's soul. She gave Dumbledore a curt nod before sitting down into one of the cozy armchairs that were on the opposite side of his desk.

"Thank you for coming Minerva" Dumbledore said with a smile. "I would like to speak to you about the living arrangements for young Harry Potter" he continued. "It is my intent to send Harry with the only family he has left, his muggle aunt Petunia Dursley and her husband" he finished. McGonagall looked at Dumbledore curiously before replying.

"Albus do you believe that is the wisest course of action?" She asked. "While I understand that this Petunia is Harry's family, wouldn't he be safer with a wizarding family?" She suggested. Dumbledore was relieved she didn't mention Sirius. She must have not known or remembered that Sirius was the boy's godfather.

"On the contrary, Minerva" Dumbledore said almost teasingly. "The safest place will be his aunt's home once I cast powerful blood wards." Dumbledore said.

"Blood wards?" McGonagall looked quite shocked.

"Yes, my dear, blood wards" Dumbledore took on a sadden expression "I believe that Lilly's sacrifice has given Harry a powerful protection that I can tie into such wards. It is my belief that it was Lilly's love that saved young Harry." At this point Dumbledore changed his expression of one of hope.

"Are you quite sure, Albus?" McGonagall said, looking quire skeptical.

"I am" Dumbledore replied simply.

"Where do these muggles live?" McGonagall asked.

"Surrey" Dumbledore replied cautiously.

"Do you have an address? I wish to visit these muggles myself. I want to have an idea of the type of people we will be leaving him with." Said McGonagall.

"I am sure that is not…" Dumbledore began.

"I can assure you it is quite necessary" McGonagall said in a tone that brokered no argument.

"Very well Minerva" Dumbledore signed. "The address is 4 Privet Drive, Surry".

"When do you plan on taking him there?" McGonagall asked.

"I planned on doing that tonight" Dumbledore replied.

"Well then, it appears that I should be getting a move on then" McGonagall said as she stood up.

"I will leave you to it then Minerva" Dumbledore said. As McGonagall returned through the fireplace to her office Dumbledore cursed softly. He would have to convince her that this was the best situation. He hopped that Petunia was the same as he remembered and he hopped that her husband wasn't going to ruin things for him. "Though even if Minerva disagreed with his decision, It was the best place for Harry. Both for the boy's safety and for my own plans." Albus thought as he walked out of his office intending to inform Hagrid of his need of him tonight. Left on his desk was that morning's copy of the Daily Profit. Its main headline proclaiming the downfall of Voldemort. However, the next story on the front page read _"Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived?"._

 **November 1** **st** **, 1981. London**

Sirius Black was absolutely furious. "That bloody traitor, I'll kill the bastard" He thought darkly. He had just left the apartment that Peter had been hiding in. There was absolutely no sign of a struggle at all. The wards were still up and strong. There was no damage and the door was even locked. Sirius could only come to one conclusion, the spy they suspected in their midst wasn't Remus, it was Peter all along. "When I get my hands on that filth…" he muttered as he strode form the building. He realized that in order to find Peter he would have to hope that he wasn't behind any wards that would prevent tracking spells. He pulled out his wand and said "inveniret hominem Peter Pettigrew". A small ball of light shot from his wand and was suspended in space momentarily until it began to zoom away at a fairly decent pace. Sirius began to follow it. He knew it would not get more than 10 meters form him and would wait for him to catch up should it near that distance. It wasn't the most efficient way to locate someone. But without anything to anchor a more powerful location spell to, such as a piece of the rat's flesh, he would have to make do.

As he followed the light he thought about what he would do. He considered just killing Peter for his horrible betrayal. This idea certainly would feel the best to him. But the more he thought about it, the less he liked that idea. He wanted something much more than revenge. He wanted to know why. Why had the bastard abandoned the friends? Why would he throw all of them away? Money, Power, Prestige? Sirius really didn't know. That didn't seem like Peter. Fear, perhaps? That was the most likely scenario, but Peter didn't have to be the secret keeper. No one would have looked down upon him had he refused. So that really didn't make any sense. The more Sirius thought the about it the more he grew frustrated. Finally, he decided that he would not kill the rat….at least not right away. He needed to have his answers.

 **November 1** **st** **, 1981. Surrey, England.**

A breeze ruffled the neat hedges of Privet Drive. This was the very last place you would expect astonishing things to happen. The neat rows of houses that all somehow seemed to look the same, despite the vast differences in their occupants, seemed to stretch as far as the eye could see. It was eerily quiet in this isolated slice of suburbia. However, the silence was broken when a soft crack could be heard near the end of the street. Albus Dumbledore stored purposely down the street, clicking his Deluminator softly and watching with mild interest as the various lights were snuffed out of the street lamps that provided the only light on the street. Once all light had been cleared, Dumbledore walked in front of the dark confines of Number 4, his destination.

A large black cat with distinctive circular markings around it's eyes hopped up on the fence post Dumbledore was standing next to. "Ah Minerva, how has the watching been going" Dumbledore said with a mild chuckle. He watched with a small smile as the visage of a cat shifted into a much more humanoid figure. McGonagall gave him a slight glare and started speaking in a very strict tone.

"Well Albus, I can tell you this. It has not gone as splendidly as you seem to think it has."

"Oh?" Dumbledore asked.

"Yes, my worries have been more than confirmed as far as I am concerned. These muggles at this home are the worst sort Albus!" She said tensely.

"Minerva…" Dumbledore began in a slightly exasperated tone.

"No. I don't want to hear it Albus. They truly are horrid people. Vernon Dursley especially. There must be another place Harry can go!" She cried out hotly.

"Alas my dear, there simply is not. No place can offer as much protection as here can once the blood wards are cast. I cannot risk Harry's safety be in jeopardy. Even if his family is not the most ideal of people, I can assure you that I have made it very clear in the letter I intend to give them that Harry is to be cared for as best as they can. It is their duty and I will intend to hold them to it" he said sternly. McGonagall looked quite put out as she began to speak again.

"Be that as it may, I do not feel right about this. He will not have a happy childhood here. It just will not be possible with these people. Mark my words, Albus."

"Perhaps you are partially right. I do not expect Harry will have the ideal childhood here, but times are trying and I would rather have him grow up safe than grow up with the perfect childhood until the one day some supporter of Voldemort cuts the boy down and ends him…" Dumbledore lectured.

"Albus!" McGonagall replied in utter shock. "You cannot truly believe that…" she started

"But Minerva, this is exactly what I fear. It is what kept me up last night. Harry must be safe. It is imperative that he is protected. But do not worry my dear. I assure you I will look after him and if he is under any danger, any at all, I will remove him from here." He said placatingly.

"I suppose we could just see with a trial run, perhaps" she said after thinking it over for a moment. While she clearly looked like she was not the biggest fan of the idea, she was coming around. And that was all Dumbledore needed for the moment. He could keep her in the dark about any of the strictness that Petunia and her husband might put on the boy. After all, she may overreact if she knew what Dumbledore intended for the boy. Dumbledore turned his head at a distant roar in the sky. "Ah, that must be Hagrid. Good, we can get this over with then" he thought.

As the motorbike grew larger in the sky, Dumbledore proceeded to walk the periminator of the property weaving his wand in a complicated pattern. McGonagall could see he was drawing out the complex series of wards he had spoken of earlier. After a few minutes of this, Dumbledore pulled out a phial of what was clearly blood and pooled it around a small stone engraved with complex runes. He then buried the stone deep under the front lawn.

Soon the Sirius' motorbike landed bringing Hagrid, Harry and a small sack of belongings with it. Hagrid removed himself from the bike and walked over to Dumbledore with tears in his eyes.

"'m Sorry Headmaster" he sniffled. "It just is so sad that he will going away for such a long time." Hagrid said with a look of pan upon his face."

"There, there Hagrid. It won't be too long. Harry will soon be returning to us and you can come get him when he is ready to start school." The half-giant seemed to brighten up at such a prospect.

"I spose it isn't that long…..." he trailed off, showing a little uncertainty but he seemed to be holding himself much better.

Dumbledore looked at Harry a moment, before pulling out a wand and conjuring a basket to set the boy in. He then cast a powerful sleeping spell to keep the boy immobile and then proceeded to cast a warming charm that should last throughout the night. He placed his letter on the boy's chest and turned to leave, motioning for the other's to follow him.

 **November 2** **nd** **, 1981. London**

Sirius Black was so very close. He could almost taste victory as he finally saw the bastard. Peter Pettigrew was doing his best to be inconspicuous while in the muggle crowd. Sirius quickly canceled his tracking spell and moved towards the rat. "Now all I have to do is stun him and get out of here before anyone notices" he thought. But before he could put his plan into motion, Peter looked up and caught Sirius staring at him. It seemed as if time froze as clear fear passed through Peter's eyes. Sirius stopped and tensed as Peter was about to draw his wand. He was shocked when instead of pointing a wand at him, Peter just pointed his finger at him with an expression of….anger?

"You!" Peter shouted.

Sirius was quite taken aback. "Him? What did he mean him?" He thought Peter must have been losing it. He didn't even know what to say.

"Sirius, you betrayed James and Lilly!" Peter continued to scream as he finally pulled out his wand.

Sirius' temporary stupor was somewhat broken as his survival instincts kicked in. he pulled his own wand out and prepared himself for Peter to begin to throw curses at him. The muggles in the area had all turned to stare at this rather odd display. Sirius had the distinct impression that the wands in their hands must look utterly ridiculous to the muggles. However, Peter never sent any curses his way. In fact, his wand was never even pointed towards Sirius. Sirius saw the organge fiery light leave peter's wand and everything seemed to move in slow motion as his eyes moved to the target Peter seemed to be aiming for.

The spell was headed for some sort of muggle pipe that stuck out of the street slightly. It was at that point that Sirius saw the muggle symbol that he recognized as indicating the presence of flammable gas. Less than a second later a massive explosion rocked the street that they were standing on. Even though Sirius was a fair distance away, he could not remain standing and dropped to one knee. Peter was no better and was actually knocked to the ground by the force of the blast. All Sirius could hear was shouting, screaming, and moans of pain. He watched as Peter drew his wand across one of his finger's numbly. Peter than began to shrink down and vanished out of sight. It took Sirius a moment to realize what had just happened. Peter was gone and he had set Sirius up? When did he become clever instead of just afraid? Sirius actually chuckled at the absurdity of the whole situation he now found himself in. In fact, something most have completely broken inside Sirius as instead of shouting at the unfairness of it all, instead of pounding his fists to release the torrent of anger he could still register at the back of his mind, he simply laughed and laughed.

As the muggles tried to flee the scene, some running for help, some running to simply get away, cracks of apparition could be heard all around the devastated street. Aurors and obliviates poured in to the busy muggle area intent on cleaning up whatever magic had caused such a ruckus. When they found the hysterical Sirius Black with his wand lazily pointing towards the carnage, they immediately assumed that the man had gone completely mental and decided that some muggle killing might loosen the binds of insanity. He was a Black after all, they reasoned. The Obliviators began detaining fleeing muggles for information before wiping their minds. They soon had conflicting stories of people saying that one or the other of the strange men had blown up the street. However, a clear theme emerged as many had the recollection of smaller man accusing a "Sirius" of betraying a "James" and a "Lilly". Within minutes some of the Aurors and Obliviators already had it in their minds that Black must have given the secret of the Potter's whereabouts to Voldemort whom people had started now simply referring to as "He who Must Not Be Named" or "Who Know Who". Add to this an ambitious head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement Bartimaeus Crouch was eyeing the job of Minister for Magic and it was unsurprising that the headline for the Daily Prophet on November 3rd simply stated, "Sirius Black Sent to Azkaban for the betrayal of James and Lilly Potter and murder of 13 Muggles".

 **Author Notes:** Well that's a wrap for this chapter. I know most of this chapter was setup for future events but the story can now begin in earnest. I tried my best to portray the character's realistically here. For example, Dumbledore is not evil or anything, he just wants what's best and clearly believes in the idea of the needs of the many outweighing the needs of the few. In this case that is Harry. I believe this is reasonably in line with his cannon portrayal. I did make McGonagall a little more passionate in her resistance to Dumbledore here as I think that without it, Harry really would really put her in the same category as Dumbledore. Hope everyone enjoyed it and please put in a review so that I can get an idea of how I am doing with this story.

From now on, most chapter's in the story will be from Harry's perspective. Next chapter, we will find out how Harry's early life goes. How will a more intelligent and cunning Harry deal with his new family. How will he react when he discovers he has "a gift" and what will Petunia and Vernon do? Find out with the next chapter, The Dursleys.


	4. Chapter 2: The Dursleys

Series: Choosing a Darker Path

Book 1: Beginnings

Chapter 2: The Dursleys

 **Author Notes:**

 _Ç denotes use of parseltongue Ç._

The rest of this story will take place in a point of view (POV) format. The primary point of view of this story will be Harry. As such, any descriptions and interactions mentioned are shown as he sees them. Thus, you could run into unreliable narration, so do keep that in mind. It will not be stated outright who's POV a chapter is from. However, this should become apparent with context provided at the beginning of the chapter. I may change the writing format based upon reader feedback but this is how it will go for now.

See the end of the chapter for more notes.

I could see nothing but darkness, I could hear nothing but the muffled noises of activity outside of the space I was confined to, I could taste nothing but stale air and I could smell nothing but the filth I was forced to reside in. These were the things that I would be presented with when I woke up each morning. My name is Harry James Potter. But most often I am simply referred to as "boy", "freak", or if my _caregivers_ were feeling especially lazy, simply "you". Vernon and Petunia Dursley, were the ones who were supposed to look after me. They were my family after all, shameful as it makes me to even think of them that way. However, as time progressed, they seemed less and less willing to give me any care whatsoever. They had their own child to coddle, their precious dudlekins. Why should I have any importance? At first their behavior confused me. I had tried my very best to please them. I had been a far quieter than their own child. I had always tried to fuss less, want less, tried to make them proud of me by being the best I could be at everything that I did. I was the first to walk steadily, I was the first to speak clearly, and I was the first to be toilet trained. However, instead of my little triumphs being met with love or even a bit of encouragement, my actions seemed to simply frustrate them. I got the message loud and clear. "You don't matter in the Dursleys household if your last name isn't Dursley".

Looking back, I suppose it wasn't so bad in the beginning. At worst, I was simply regarded as a burden. It was clear that I was not liked, certainly not as much as their precious son Dudley, but there wasn't any outright neglect. I would get less food to be sure, but it was never an unacceptably small amount. I would receive less attention, but at least they did notice me occasionally. I had slept in the same room as Dudley and I would even get the occasional toy now and again. In fact. It was actually these small kindnesses that would keep me trying to please them. But things began to change.

Strange things began to happen around the Dursley home. Objects would move without explanation, lights would flicker on and off randomly, the temperature of rooms would deviate with no clear reason. This strangeness or "unnaturalness", as Vernon would call it would always be blamed on only one person, me. As time passed and the strange occurrences continued to grow both numerically and in intensity, the Dursleys attitude towards me turned from cold to frigid.

I didn't understand why they blamed me for all these events. Sure, I was the one responsible. I could feel it whenever it happened. A spark of energy would filter thought me But, it wasn't like he had any control. These things just happened when I couldn't control my emotions. When I was angry, scared, or if I simply got excited, things happened. However, whether I was doing it intestinally or not the Dursleys disposition towards me had clearly shifted from disinterest, frustration, and general dislike to that of suspicion, neglect, and outright hatred. They stopped feeding me properly, they would verbally dress me down and Vernon would even get physically violent with me. A yard hank on my arm or leg here, a slap to the face there, a good kick to the ribs or a nice punch in the stomach were the highlights of my young life.

But perhaps I am getting ahead of myself. Let me describe my lovely family. First, Vernon Dursley. The man was enormous. He was somewhat shorter in stature than average, serving to highlight his weight. He had a dark head of hair and large mustache which covered most of his lips. He was quick to anger and even quicker to violence. He could not abide by any unnaturalness. if it did not fit into his narrow world view, it was the realm of freaks and heathens. Next, little dudlekins. By all rights, Dudley Dursley almost seemed to be a clone of his father in physicality. In attitude however, he was more petulant than anything. He was a spoiled brat of a child and it was his only desire in life to emulate his parent's views and attitudes. So naturally, since his parents hated me, he loathed me as well. And Finally, there was sweet aunt Petunia. Petunia Dursley was a stark contrast to her husband. Where her husband was a large as a tree trunk, she was as skinny as a small twig. Where Vernon was short, she was quite tall. Where Vernon's face was bulbous, hers was long and narrow, resembling a horse. She was a horrible woman who pretended to be the perfect housewife. Her favorite activities were gardening and spying on the neighbors to see what gossip she could obtain.

I suppose I could describe myself. I can tell you I look nothing like the Dursleys, that's for sure. I am considered quite small for my age, I possess much darker hair than my uncles. It was midnight black, but the color is all I liked about it. The rest of its properties infuriated me. It stuck up at all angles and was impossible to tame. This quality did not help to lessen the image that was presented to all the neighbors, Harry Potter was little more than a hoodlum to them. The Dursleys made that image clear enough. What with their idea of dressing me was throwing me in clothes that are many sizes too large. As if Dudley's cast offs would provide me any decent clothing. Though of course that was the point I suppose. But back to the description. My build could simply be considered lithe and nimble. After all, I am quite fast. The final feature of note that I poses is a lightning bolt scar that marks the day I lost my real family and was put with these _people_. Damn bloody car crash.

As I lay in the darkness on the ratty mattress that the Dursleys consider good enough to serve as my bed, my thoughts turned back to my life. I had been moved to the cupboard under the stairs around the same time as the Dursleys seemed to believe I no longer required a proper amount of food. At the thought of food, I could feel an ache in my torso and I knew I was suffering from the effects of mal-nourishment. I knew that I needed to get more food in me or I would waste away more than I already have. Thankfully school would be starting up again and the thought brought a smile to my lips.

Learning was my escape from this wretched place. I have always been smart, I was very advanced for my age. The other children couldn't hold a candle to me. They were dribbling idiots in my opinion. Regardless, of the other children's inadequacies, the institution provided me with the tools to survive. I got a decent meal each day at lunch, I could read to my hearts content in the library. I could study and hopefully get a scholarship to a good college when I was old enough. That would be my ticket out of here. Thinking about school brings me back to the days of my previous school years.

Within the first few weeks I could tell that the class I was placed in was not for me. I realized quickly that my classmates, and to a lesser extent, my teacher were idiots. The kids couldn't count at all and could barely even read. Had their parents taught them nothing before sending them here? It appears not. No, that wasn't right. They apparently had taught them less than nothing. This could be the only explanation as the Dursleys certainly hadn't helped me and I could count to a thousand already and I possessed a good grasp on the written word as well. While the simpletons tried to learn to tie their shoes, I would tie complicated knots that could be used for many a task should I require them. So yes, my view of my fellow students wasn't the best.

The teacher was imbecilic for an entirely different reason, however. It wasn't that she was incompetent in her job. It was quite the opposite. She was a good teacher and role model. This only highlighted her inadequacy when it came to me. She worked well with the other children, judging by the speed with which she had taught them the basics. She would hear their complaints and always seemed to have answers for them. She could tell when something was wrong with them and tried her best to address. However, it seemed her prowess of perception stopped when it came to my problems and my situation. How could she not see an abused child when one sat right in front of her.

Admittedly, it wasn't as if I was walking around in Dudley's castoffs while at school. The Dursley's were thick, but they weren't that thick. On the morning of my first day, I was presented with new articles of second-hand clothing. This included several pairs of trousers, several shirts, new pairs of undergarments and a decent pair of shoes. Compared to the hand me downs of my cousin, that never fit right owing to his cousin's classification as more whale than child, these new clothes were downright nice. Vernon had made it quite clear that I should be thanking them for their great generosity and I should lavish the fact that they spent a single pound on me. I would have liked to point out that Dudley was showered with some vary decidedly not second-hand clothing at the same time. But I decided to keep my mouth shut as it would do me no good. So yes, I wasn't dressed in rags whilst my cousin was dressed in expensive named brand clothing, but other signs were still there if the teacher would just look.

As much as I hate admitting my own failings, I had many when I first started school that should have screamed to everyone loud and clear that something was very wrong. I would react quite unhealthy to loud noises, violently flinching and taking on a look of a wounded animal searching for danger. I ate far too much at lunchtime for a child who was eating at any other point in the day. But the topping on the cake was my disposition that wasn't very subtle. I was far too quiet for a normally child. I was far too withdrawn and shy when faced with new social situations. These signs should have been recognized but they were ignored.

Now I could have told them all about the Dursleys mistreatment. But would I? No, I most assuredly would not. I had two reasons for this. The first, is that I would never admit to that kind of weakness. I understood how the world works and I knew that the moment such a weakness was exposed, others would use it against me. I had seen it done at home and I would not allow that to carry out of those walls. The second reason was the possible ramifications if I were to tell. I had no way of knowing how such a scenario would unfold. I figured that at best, I would be removed from the Dursleys care and would be placed somewhere else. This could be anywhere and with anyone. I did not like that idea at all. I was and still am a firm believer in the old adage the devil who know is better than the one you don't.

I knew the Dursleys. After living with them for the vast majority of my life, I could predict their behaviors. I could strategize around their whims and desires. But the most crucial aspect that I had was control. I could manipulate and exploit them when it was required. So, I kept quiet but that didn't mean I resented my teacher any less for not bringing these signs up. And if she truly was the idiot I suspected her to be, if she truly was that blind, then I think that might be even worse. I am not quite sure which is the larger sin of the two, Ignorance or apathy. Both earned my ire in different ways.

But thankfully my teacher did not miss my advanced development or my clear boredom with the day to day activities. One day she handed me a note to give to my relatives. She explained that she needed a meeting with them to discuss my placement. I was quite thrilled that she finally had decided to remove me form this class. She of course wouldn't usually discuss what a note was about with a child as young as me, but she knew my reading ability was far above that of the other children and recognized the fact that I would understand the note anyway. To say that Petunia and Vernon were not happy was an understatement.

"Are you too stupid for simple kindergarten, boy!" Vernon roared. Petunia had her hands on her hips and her lips were as thin as a strand of hair, clearly illustrating her displeasure.

"You don't understand, uncle…" I began.

"How dare you freak!" Petunia exclaimed.

"Wait, please just hear me out for a moment" I pleaded. I just needed them to understand. Both of them looked as if they would do anything rather than listen to my explanation, but thankfully Vernon simply grunted and snapped at me to get on with it.

"I think the teacher wants to advance me to the first grade. I really am doing much better than everyone and it is actually really good for you two as well" I quickly told them.

"And how boy, is it good for us?" Vernon said with clear mockery in his voice.

"Because then I won't have to be in the same class as Dudley and he can learn without my freakishness" I said with excitement. I could portray the child that they wanted to see when it suited my needs. School had helped me in expressions and masks. I would have been quite amused at the clear battle being waged in Vernon's dim mind had it not been for the fact that it was simply his hatred for anything that made me happy versus the perceived benefits to his own child. It was at this point that I noticed the calculated look on Petunia face. She quickly looked to Vernon and began to speak.

"Dear, the freak may be right" Petunia said soothingly. "While I don't like the idea of him trying to show he is better than Dudley with this _advancement_ , it will get him away from precious dudlekins and I will be much happier for it" she finished. Vernon still looked conflicted but he finally decided to go with it.

"We will meet with your teacher as she has asked and if you are indeed being moved up then fine, but I expect more work from you. No doubt you will now need a school uniform now that you are going to go into grade 1 and such an expense having to come out of my hard-earned money does not please me, boy" he bit out.

So, it was that I was moved on to grade 1 and I definitely felt the better for it. I soon had the freedom to access the library and I devoured all of the learning materials I could get my hands on. I read all about history, maths, science, art, literature, engineering, and technology. My mind seemed to be like the black holes I read about in an astronomy book, I sucked in all the knowledge I could acquire.

With my ever-expanding catalog of knowledge, the teachers began to see that I wasn't being challenged by the work that I was given. I was only six years old and had already mastered complex multiplication, division, I could read at a grade 5 reading level and was considered a computer whiz by my teacher. I really didn't see what the big deal was. All of it was easy to me. They just simply were all beneath me apparently. The other students couldn't keep up with me and the teachers knew it. At the end of my grade 1 year, the teachers put me through a series of tests and seemed to determine that I not only had a keen intellect but apparently, I had severe advantage on my side.

I had what they called photographic and eidetic memory abilities. The teacher described my ability to rapidly recall facts and figures and to visualize a situation with near perfect detail. The tester was quite interested and said that they might want to look into this further as no one had ever demonstrated the abilities that I supposedly had. I was told that normally eidetic memory was only available to someone like me for minutes, but I seemed to be able to recall visualization of things from years in the past. This was certainly unheard of. The more interesting thing was the photographic aspect of my mental abilities. Apparently, while some people could remember very specific things such as numbers well, facts and general information was shown to not be reliable. Should these abilities be true, I would be unique they had said. Well I already knew that. Needless to say they also gave me a placement test and decided that I should move into grade 4 for the next year. So only three years early. They had kept me to a normal pacing of school since then. While I demonstrated that I was still to advanced for the material, they were concerned that I was too young and would not have proper socialization with my peer group. A load of bullocks if you ask me, I didn't socialize with my year group now. So, what would it matter?

Either way, that was a year ago now and I would be heading into grade 5 come later next month. Today was July 31st, my birthday. Not like it mattered all that much. I was eight years old today and no one particularly wanted to mark the occasion. I was brought out of my mussing when I heard my cousin Dudley stomping down the stairs. I coughed as dust filled the space I was in from the vibrations. I then heard a loud pounding on the door and the slot in it opened to reveal the figure of my dear aunt.

"Boy, stop being lazy and get out of there. It is time for you to make the breakfast" she said in a stern voice.

"Yes, aunt Petunia" I replied in a submissive tone. I knew that I could not argue with the Dursleys most of the time. I was small and weak compared to them and I must obey them, for now. I would get back at them when I was older and stronger. In fact, these thoughts occupied a great deal of my mind while doing the monotonous work that my aunt demanded of me. For if the Dursleys interactions with me could be considered distant and cold, then my entire outlook on life could be considered dead. Because with the abuse I had suffered, my once numerous cheer had grown hallow and my once kind persona had devolved into one of calculation. No one would get any warmth from me unless they could show that they deserved it. I had given up on trying to be a nice little boy a long time ago.

I pulled myself up from out of the darkness and proceeded to follow my aunt to the kitchen. I began to pull out heavy cooking instruments which strained my weak and atrophied muscles. I began to prepare ingredients in a detached almost robotic fashion. Soon enough, I had completed the task and at some point, in the interceding time the other two members of the Dursley clan had arrived at the table. As I began to dish out their food, Dudley attempted to trip me. While I should not have been able to see it, I reacted almost instantly and avoided the large boy's trap. While I was not physically strong, I was quick. And as my intellect developed the other abilities I possessed developed with it. Dudley had grown more and more vicious to me as Vernon showed him that violence was an acceptable form of communication when it came to me. It seemed that when he did so, he received Vernon's whole-hearted approval and thus tried to mess with me at every opportunity. I enjoyed the put out look on the boy's face at his failure and I actually gave Dudley a little wink. This caused Dudley to wine in despair.

"Daddy, the freak is looking at me funny!"

"Boy! What are you doing to Dudley" Vernon roared.

"I am not doing anything, sir" I replied in a bored tone. However, it seemed Vernon picked up on my hint of defiance because he seemed to grow angrier. I messed up I knew, but it was early and having to be completely alert at all times grew tiring quickly.

"Don't give me any cheek boy or you won't leave your cupboard for a week!" he yelled.

"Yes, uncle" I replied in the most fake respectful tone I could muster.

"That's better" Vernon bit out, apparently satisfied with his perceived cowing of me. It was at this point that Petunia spoke up.

"Since you seemed to like to talk back boy, you will go without breakfast today. Go out into the back garden and pull the weeds. And don't you dare damage any my plants. Do you understand me" she spoke calmly, but her intent was clear.

"Yes, aunt Petunia" I said. I walked over to the sink and rinsed the pan I had dished the food from. Of course, I would be expected to do the dishes once the Dursleys finished their meal. Once this task was finished I headed out to the back garden through the French doors.

Hours passed as I worked in the hot sun. Sweat clouded the lenses of my broken and hastily tapped together glasses. Vernon had raged at the fact that they had to buy me anything so expensive. He was further enraged when I broke them, ignoring the fact that they become broken due to me being pushed to the pavement by Dudley during his and his friends favorite game, Harry Hunting. I grimaced just thinking about their "game". I was thankful for his agility and the fact that they rarely caught him. "I will pay him back" I thought darkly as I pulled possibly the hundredth weed of the morning. However, thinking about Harry hunting did bring up something that I was quite proud of.

For it was when we were "playing" the game when I discovered my gift could be consciously evoked. They had chased me all that day and while I was faster than them, I did not have the same endurance they had. This was mostly due to my lack of nourishment but that is neither here nor there. I could hear them coming for me and I knew that I would be caught soon. That morning a had received a particular bad beating from Vernon and I will freely admit that the prospect of being beaten by Dudley as a second round of pain brought tears to my eyes. I was so frustrated. I couldn't do anything. I was just too weak. I wanted to be away from them. Wanted it anything more than I could remember. I was only six at the time so I was more emotional. In this circumstance, it was helpful however. It seemed my gift was heavily tied to my emotions and with the want mixed in a soon felt a crushing force on me and the next thing I knew I was on top of the school roof. It took me a moment to get over my shock. But once I did, a shit eating grin appeared on my face. I could teleport! Okay that was new.

Over the next few months, I began to further examine each bit of unnaturalness that I caused in the Dursley household. I did notice a pattern. I was in a highly charge emotional state or I was very determined for something or another to happen. Armed with this knowledge I intended to find out if I really could consciously force myself to use my gift. I started with small things, such as moving small objects without touching them. It was surprising easy to do that. I could feel the energy rush from the center of my chest to my limbs and felt as it ebbed and flowed through the air. At my command it seemed to obey and would snatch the objects as if I had control over invisible tentacles. For these first few attempts I would become quite tired afterword. I could not ever muster the energy to lift anything heavier than a few pounds. But the more I pushed myself the better I got.

By about the time of my seventh birthday, I had mastered my form of telekinesis. I read in fantasy books what I should be capable of and researched in the local libraries encyclopedia where it described the ability and supposed practitioners of it. Perhaps not so supposed, I mused. I was living proof that it could be done after all. I soon was able to simply think about moving anything at all and I found that they would move. I lifted the furniture about, created massive clouds of small objects I could control like a swarm. I began to work with the force that was exerted on objects when I moved them. I realized that by manipulating that force I could do some increasable things. I found that I had the ability to crush the objects I held aloft. I could push out waves of pure force to break glass, crack plaster, blast brick and stone and crumple metal.

As I continued to progress, I found that I could also manipulate the temperature in the rooms to create both ice and fire. Curiously, my gift seemed to know not to hurt me as I could actually hold the concentrated ball of fire just above my hand and yet not get burned. Additionally, any drop-in temperature didn't seem to affect me, assuming I didn't specifically want it to. This certainly made things much less dangerous than they could have been. I had yet to explore my teleportation further as I just hadn't gotten up the nerve to give it a shot. I knew it had to be much more difficult than the other ticks I had learned to pull and was unwilling to leave any parts behind should I screw up.

I was brought out of my thoughts as I head a rustling sound in the grass. What I saw definitely caught my attention. In the grass, I could clearly see what to me looked like a rather large snake. This was odd because snakes are not very common in the UK and one of such size, well that was basically unheard of. The snake was about a one and half feet long and maybe 4 inches in diameter. I noticed that its black scales seemed to shine in the afternoon light. As I examined the serpent further, I noticed that it was not as pure black as I first suspected. it seemed to have thin, barely noticeable, streaks of green going down its body in an intricate pattern. If I had to admit it, I would say that was quite smitten with such a beautiful creature simply coming into the yard. As I continued to observer it, I could hear someone speaking.

 _Ç Stupid fast rodents, I will enjoy the crack of your bones breaking Ç_

I was curious as to where the voice had come from, especially considering that it appeared to be coming from the direction of the snake.

 _Ç How odd Ç_ I commented dryly. The snake's head seemed to pop up at my words and its tongue flicked out to scent the air. It was at this point that I could see its eyes which seemed to be a deep red with flecks of orange and yellow mixed in.

 _Ç I have never met a speaker before Ç_ the voice said after a moment. It was at this point that I seemed to realize that there was a subtle hissing underlying the voice and I was starting to really suspect the voice I was hearing was coming from the snake. Which I thought was utterly ridiculous. I could only surmise I must be hallucinating and I was rather bored so I figured, what the hell, I'll bite.

 _Ç What exactly is a speaker Ç_ I asked the snake. It seemed to cock its head to the side slightly in confusion, given the context provided by its next statement.

 _Ç I do not understand hatchling. You are a speaker. You are communicating with me right now Ç_

 _Ç Are you suggesting that I am speaking some sort of snake language? Ç_ I asked the snake and chuckled at the situation I found myself in.

 _Ç Of course hatchling. You are speaking the serpents' tongue right now. I do not imagine how you cannot tell Ç_ the snake replied curiously. Now that I thought back on the words I had been speaking, I could remember a subtle hissing undercurrent to my own speech. This was similar to what I had detected in the snake's own speech patterns. Perhaps I was really talking in this _Serpents' Tongue_ as the snake had suggested. I was still inclined to believe that I may be hallucinating due to the July heat. But considering the other abilities I possessed, this isn't all that far-fetched. I was pulled out of my thoughts when the snake began to speak again.

 _Ç I am most hungry hatchling. So, I must go, but I will return come the morning. This area is quite dull and the prospect of conversing with a speaker does indeed intrigue me. And should I deem you to be worthy of my time, I may perhaps create a bond with you. Ç_ After the snake said this it began to go back into the tall grass that accounted for the perimeter of the back yard.

Over the next few weeks, I would spend my days speaking with my new snake. It seemed to enjoy the company so I doubted I was much of a bother. After talking with it for a few more sessions I was now able to easily tell when I was speaking the serpent's tongue. I also had managed to force myself to do it when I was not talking to him. I thought it was a pretty neat thing and decided I liked talking in this exotic language. I also managed to learn a few things about it. For one I determined that it was actually a him and he was quite young. At least for the lifespan he claimed to possess. He was two years old and he considered himself to be one of the best serpent's that I would ever meat. He claimed he had special abilities and being a practitioner of some pretty spectacular abilities myself. I decided it was high time I asked him about them.

 _Ç What special abilities? Ç_ I had asked one day.

 _Ç That really depends hatchling Ç_ the snake had replied silky.

 _Ç Upon what? Ç_ I asked curiously. The snake had given what I could only surmise as being a soft snake laugh and stated that it was complicated. The snake told me that his species of snake was a special variety that possessed imbued "gifts". He said there were many other such varieties of serpents, but his was more powerful than all of them. He explained that he would become very big given time and he would soon be very hard to harm. He would grow very strong and would even have the ability to kill his victims with just a look. He also mentioned that if he chose to bond to a human master with similar imbued gifts, he would gain powers that would serve his new master. This pronouncement seemed to intrigue me greatly. I decided to proceed with caution here.

 _Ç What sort of human has gifts like you Ç_ I asked. The snake seemed to stare at me for a moment before answering.

 _Ç Well you for one Ç_ the snake replied simply. I was a little taken aback. How could he possibly know about my gift?

 _Ç How is that you know I am imbued with such gifts? Ç_ I asked.

 _Ç I can feel your power hatchling. It is like a pulsing beat that surrounds you. It is just below the surface of your scent. Ç_ the snake said. _Ç I could prove it to you if you do not believe me hatchling Ç_ the snake informed me. I contemplated his words for a moment before deciding that it would be best to be honest with him.

 _Ç I believe you. I know I have a gift. I can move things without touching. I can crush them and can use energy to create cascades of force that can break things. I can also light fires or freeze things. Ç_ The snake took on a speculative look before replying.

 _Ç Well hatchling, this is indeed a great turn of events. It will make what I wanted to show that much easier if you have already started to unlock your abilities. I wish to show you the source of your gift hatchling. I would like to see how you perceive yourself. Place you hand on me hatchling and relax. Ç_

This did sound like an interesting prospect so I did as the snake asked and placed my hand onto his body. I then laid down onto my back and shut my eyes, doing my best to relax. I could hear him move towards me and realized that he was directly near my face and was hissing softly into my ear. _Ç Now hatchling, I need you to clear your mind of all thoughts. I want you to relax yourself fully. Listen to the sound of my voice and only my voice. Let the darkness envelope you. Imagine an empty space and simply reach out with your mind. You will find it if you concentrate hard enough. Ç_ I did as the snake bid him. I was quite curious to see how this goes….

I lay in that state for quite a while before I began to feel anything. I noticed that the outside sounds of the world seemed to die away, all the smells of the back yard no longer registered with me and all I could see was darkness. This must be what it is like to meditate. I could still hear the snake whispering to me about relaxation and calmness. After about ten minutes, I seemed to find myself on a rocky plateau. The ground was made of some kind of marble and I could see a grey etherealness all around me. I saw the snake on the ground next to me. I could feel an energy that seemed to permeate the space and seemed to be directing me in one direction. _Ç Go to it hatchling Ç_ the snake said. So, I began to walk

The journey seemed to take ages and yet at the same time it felt as if no time had passed at all. Soon enough he came to the edge of the plateau that I had been walking on and as I looked over the edge of the jagged cliff in front of me I saw a great sea. The sea's waters were strange though. They rocked back and forth like waves. Yet the waves seemed to take longer than they should to settle. As if the liquid that made up this ocean was made of a much denser substance. I honestly was memorized by it's the various crests and wanes of the waves as they crashed against the side of the cliff. Soon I looked up into the sky and noticed that the only light that seemed to be here was a constant glow that didn't seem to originate from anywhere. All the clouds I could see where a dark grey. It was at this point that the snake choice to speak again.

 _Ç Interesting hatchling. I would think one such as you would be more neutral in your affiliation considering your age. You have darkness within you young one. That is what makes this place appear as if it is in perpetual twilight. Ç_ I was intrigued by the serpent's words.

 _Ç What is an affiliation in this context Ç_ I asked him. He took on a thoughtful look, as if trying to figure out the best way to explain. He then began to hiss.

 _Ç Every creature that shares the abilities we do, the gift as you have referred to it, has an affiliation. These can be on a spectrum but the focal points of which are light, dark, or grey. I would describe your affiliation as dark grey which is much more aligned from the default state which is neutral or simply grey for humans. It is only with age and life experience that humans stake out a claim on the spectrum. Unlike humans, we creatures have a base affiliation that influences everything we do. I myself am a dark affiliated creature. Do not ask me why it is this way because I do know. It is just the way it is. However, I can see what it is we came here to find. Look of in the distance hatchling. Ç_

As I looked to the indicated area, I could see a large storm cloud above the raging waters. The cloud was mostly grey with streaks of lighting illuminating it for brief moments every so often. I wanted to reach there, as the closer I to it the stronger I seemed to feel. The feeling was very good and I wanted to bask in it.

At the moment of my fleeting request, a bridge of stone formed in mid-air, providing me with a path to walk upon. With each step I took, the cut of edge of the path was built up with new slabs of stone materializing as if the dust in the air was crushed until it formed the stone. It made sense the more I thought about it. I was in my own mind I could pretty much do anything if I set myself to it. As I continued forward I could see I was getting closer to the storm and the hair on my arms began to stand on end. Soon I walked directly into the cloud that formed this storm. Even though lightning seemed to arc all around me, which would probably be quite dangerous. I knew I was in my own mind and I was not afraid of the manifestations of my own thought.

In fact, fear was not one of the emotions that I was feeling at this moment. Instead, all I felt were waves of excitement, pleasure, elation and a myriad of other emotions I couldn't identify right now. After basking in the cloud for who knows how long, I began to venture deeper and soon found what could only be described as a orb of energy that seemed to be the source of the arches of lightning that permeated this cloud. It was at this point I noticed what I could best describe as a tether. It was transparent and seemed to glow bright and dim every so often. The snake did not seem to know what this was and I took note that the tether seemed to brighten whenever I heard him speak snake tongue or whenever I spoke to him. Intrigued, I began to follow it to try and locate its source.

After traveling out of the cloud, I continued across the sea until I stepped on to another landmass. It was at this point that I realized the sea I had been seeing was more of a lake that sounded the source of my gift. I soon found my way blocked by a massive granite wall engraved with strange markings that glowed in the low light. I could see that the tether seemed to extend though a small crack in the wall. After thinking about it for a while, I concluded that I may be able to destroy this. If I can conjure a bridge out of nothing, I ought to be able to destroy this wall. With this in mind I thought of the wall shattering before me. As I had the picture of this mind, I began to hear the storm that raged behind me increase in intensity. Soon bolts of lightning shot forth from the cloud. Each impact upon it seemed to cause it to smoke and break in places and I saw that the tether seemed to brighten in intensity. After nearly an hour of striking at the wall I could see that this would take a long time. The snake suggested that I come back here and work on it later as he could see that I was becoming tired. The snake told me that it was time to leave and the next thing I knew I was back in the back yard of the Dursleys.

I was breathing quite hard and began to sit up. I felt like he had run a marathon and was completely drained. As I collected myself, the snake got my attention when he began to hiss.

 _Ç Hatchling, being in your core was quite incredible Ç_ the snake said in a clearly excited tone. _Ç Your gift is more powerful than I first suspected hatchling, and my first impression was quite high already Ç_ the snake said flicking its tongue side to side and gazing at me intently for a moment. The snakes eyes then narrowed and it appeared his next statement was a little apprehensive. _Ç I think I have come to a decision hatchling Ç_ the snake said slowly.

 _Ç and what is that Ç_ I asked him.

 _Ç I wish to bind myself to you. I wish you to be my master. I will give you things that most humans couldn't dream of. Once we are bound, many of my gifts and traits will be transferred to you. This will augment both your own power and your physical attributes. Your sight will become much sharper and you will be able to see in the darkest of locations. You should be able to get rid of that hideous thing that covers your eyes. You will have the reflexes to avoid any danger, should it befall you. The lower layers of your skin will become as hard as my scales, becoming impenetrable to anything non-imbued with the same power that we possess. The stronger layer of skin will also give you resistance to the gifts of others like yourself. My venom shall run through your veins, giving you immunity to almost any poison and increasing your natural healing. Also, we will be able to communicate with each other telepathically over a great distance. I will even allow you to slip into my skin and take control of me to doi your bidding should the need arise. Finally, I will hunt any prey that you ask me to. I will seek out great treasures for you. I will do these things because once we bond you will be my master and I will be your servant. Ç_

I thought about the snake's words. It seemed to be promising me great power. But I wasn't stupid and I knew that such an offer would not be extended to me without some sort of strings attached. Power did not come free. No, the snake would surely want something in return. After all, if I were in the snake's position, I would want a great many things if I were to gift someone with gifts that the snake was describing.

 _Ç You speak of all the things you can do for me. Yet I have not heard a semblance of what I must do for you in return for such gifts. So what is the catch in this arrangement that you seek to make with me? Ç_ Based on the tone of the next sentence spoken by the snake, I would swear the snake was smirking, if a snake could smirk.

 _Ç Oh hatchling, I do believe I have made a wise choice indeed. To answer your question, I believe that with you I will grow to be the most powerful of my kind. You shall give me the dream of all of my kind, to rule over all other serpents and rain supreme. For while I server you, it shall only be you I am under. All others are beneath me as all others will bow to you when the time comes. Also I must warn you that the bond will change you. I can tell you already seek power and control and you are darker than I might imagine, but this will make that more pronounced. As I said before I am a dark affiliated creature and some of my instincts and thinking will transfer to you. It is the way of these things, hatchling. Ç_ the snake finished, a hint of glee flowing through his words as he clearly was hoping that I would say yes to his offer.

I thought long and hard over this deal long and hard. What he was describing was basically putting trust in someone other than me. As he said, this bonding would cause me to change and I wasn't thrilled at the prospect of someone else's instincts or desires clouding my judgement. Still the power the snake spoke of was tantalizing. I could be strong with this. I could force others to bend to my will. Yes, the more I thought about the prospect the more I was inclined to accept this bargain. I knew I was always superior to the simpletons that I was forced to share this existence with. And I could tell that this offer would make me even greater. I would gain the strength to prove I was better. That I was strong and they were week. I would take the bond, I decided.

 _Ç What is it that I must do to create this bond Ç_ I asked the snake.

 _Ç it is a simple matter hatchling, now that I have shown you how to venture to the source of your gift. I want you to repeat the same process that who did before but instead of searching for your own source, I want you to reach out and feel mine. Once you find my source, I want you to open your eyes and maintain that connection. I will do the rest of the bonding from there. However, I warn you that this will cause a great amount of pain for you. Many changes will take place with your body and it may take a long time for this process to conclude. As such, I believe it is best that you bring me with you back into your home. Sneak me under your clothing and we shall begin the bonding tonight. Ç_

I was wary about the pain the snake spoke of, but I simply put it to a matter of there being no gain without pain. I scooped the snake up into my arms and placed him on my shoulders, allowing him to drape there. I shivered slightly as the snake's cool body slithered under my shirt and It wrapped itself around my torso. Although now that it was in place it gave a strange sensation of pleasure to have it there. It felt right, as if the snake should have been with me for both of our entire lives. In that moment, I knew I had made the right decision. Anything that could feel so right must be a good thing. I was excited at the next steps to come….

As night fell and the Dursleys ate their dinner, I retreated to the cupboard under the stairs. I lay on my bed and waited. Soon I heard the bolt of the door slide into the locked position and I knew that my relatives were heading to bed. The bolt was laughable to me. They thought that would prevent me from sneaking out and getting things in the night. Ever since I could move objects with my gift, I could easily slide the bolt into the unlocked position with a thought. It is what kept me from starving to death, truth be told. I waited a few minutes after they had bounded up the stairs and soon the house had gone quiet. I was satisfied that I was alone and should have a good eight hours before I would be disturbed. It was time. I informed the snake that he could come out. I supposed he was my snake now. We were about to bond after all. My serpent servant. I liked the sound of that.

 _Ç The other humans have gone to bed. You can come out now. Ç_ The snake popped its head out and soon moved to lay on my chest. Its fiery eyes glowed in the darkness and reminded me of the demons I read in some horror novels in the school's library. Fitting that I am making a deal with it. Thinking that caused me to give a small chuckle. The snake seemed to regard me curiously for a few moments before hissing softly.

 _Ç Alright hatchling, as I have said, you must feel for my source. Let us begin Ç_

It took a fair amount of time to be able to feel the source of the snake's gift. But once I did, I couldn't help the gasp that escaped my throat. It felt cold, very cold. There was a sense of darkness to it. I was beginning to think that my demonic comparison fit this situation a little too well. But it isn't important. I have to do what is necessary to become strong. I don't care if this creature was evil or good. H had already shown that he could be trusted and I would complete this bond. After calming down, I spoke to him.

 _Ç I certain I have found your source Ç_ I said to the snake.

 _Ç Good hatchling, you accomplished that much faster than I thought you would. I should stop being surprised by your abilities but it is hard to imagine that one so young could learn so quickly. Regardless, you have done your part. Now I must do mine. Now hatchling, it is important that you remain still for this part. I will warn you that I will have to bite you in order for the bond to form. Do not worry, while my venom is deadly it will not cause any permanent damage to you. As I have said before, my venom flowing through your veins will be good thing for you once the bond solidifies. Are you read hatchling? Ç_ the snake asked.

I nodded and became stiff as the snake approached the left side of my neck. Faster than I could believe, the snake bit the soft flesh there. It was interesting to note that the actual bite didn't seem to hurt at all. In fact, I was just beginning to think perhaps the snake was exaggerating about the amount of pain, until It hit me like a sledgehammer. Pain exploded in the area around the bite. It felt as if fire was burning under my skin. The pain intensified the venom was spread to the rest of my body. Soon enough all I could register was the pain and I had to bite my tongue not to scream out in agony, filling my mouth with the coppery taste of blood. The snake was hissing something, I am not sure what it was but it seemed to be trying to comfort me as darkness began to come to the edges of my eyes.

I awoke with a start and was breathing rapidly. The fire that had consumed me had cooled considerably. I almost thought I had slept through the night as I looked about the cupboard. It seemed as if the dark confines were no longer dark but everything seemed to be in shades of grey. This wasn't normal. Even during the daytime, when the cupboard was closed all I would be able to see was darkness. Apparently not anymore, as I was looking about the room I also noticed that I could smell a bunch of new things that I hadn't noticed. I detected the aroma of the damp wood and the moldy odor of the old blanket I was forced to use. So not particularly good smells but the fact that I could smell them with such clarity told me that I was in fact better with that sense as well. It was at this point I noticed that there was something different. It seemed as though I could feel things that weren't my own. As if….but of course. I could feel what the snake was feeling. It was a hard thing to describe and was quite disorientating. I was brought out of my thoughts by hissing from the snake.

 _Ç The bond is complete master. The last thing I would like from you before we sleep is a name. While my kind simply use scents to distinguish between each other, you are not a serpent and therefore I would like you to give me a name as it is important to humans. Ç_

A name? That certainly did make sense. He was my snake now after all. He deserved a good name. I wasn't really sure at first but then it seemed to come to me without much though, a part of the bond no doubt.

 _Ç I shall call you Amicus Ç_ I told my snake. The snake flicked its tongue out as it considered the name. Finally, the snake nodded and said that it was a good name. I had to agree as Amicus truly was my first friend.

 **Author's Notes:** Well that it is for that chapter. I went a little overboard when writing this and ended up with nearly 12,000 words by the time I had made corrections. So, I knew I would need to save some of that for the next chapter. I have decided that I will release a chapter each Monday. I know it might be a little cliché to have a dark Harry get a snake but I thought it would be a fun addition. It will give him the chance to explore his parseltongue ability. I also wanted a colder and calculating pet for him than Hedwig. Also, I thought that it would be fun for the second book in the series if he brought his own basilisk to the Chamber but I suppose I am getting a little ahead of myself. In any case, please let me know what you guys think and hope you enjoyed the chapter.

What will Harry do with his new-found abilities. How will he deal with the Dursleys now that he has a protector? Will he allow the abuse to continue or will he decide to pay them back for the years of torment they put him through? Find out in the next chapter "Of Might and Magic".


	5. Chapter 3: Of Might and Magic

Series: Choosing a Darker Path

Book 1: Beginnings

Chapter 3: Of Might and Magic

 **Author's Note:**

 _Ç Denotes the use of parseltongue Ç_

See the end of the chapter for more notes

By the morning I was feeling slightly better but still had a headache. This of course was not helped by the incessant banging I was greeted with. Soon I heard the ever exasperated voice of my lovely Aunt.

"Boy! Why has breakfast not been made yet!" she screeched.

I quickly sent a mental command to Amicus to get inside my shirt and fled the cupboard to begin the day. Once I had completed my morning chores I was pierced by my Aunt's glare and was told to leave the house. Apparently, I was disturbing her peace and had no business being indoors on such a nice day. Oh, spare me. If I don't strangle the woman by the end of the week, she will be lucky. Frankly I had grown quite weary of her incessant nagging and belittling. Though now that I thought about it, leaving would allow me to not have to deal with her so the prospect wasn't so bad. With that in mind, I quickly made my way to local park and found a secluded area of heavy brush. I sat down by a tree and on queue amicus appeared from under my t-shirt and began to speak to me.

 _Ç Master, why do you not let me bite those filthy humans who treat you so? Ç_ He said curiously. _Ç I could kill all three of them with no trouble Ç_ He explained. As much as it would thrill me for him to do so I had to deny him.

 _Ç I do not want you to do that because I do not know what would happen to me if they were to die. I would rather not go to an orphanage or to a foster home which could be worse. I know how the Dursleys think and I can avoid the worst of their machinations if I am clever Ç_ I reasoned to him. The sound that Amicus made could best be described as a sigh. He then hissed out in a slightly annoyed tone.

 _Ç Very well master, but I must insist that you practice your gift then more often. You must learn how to use it to defend yourself. I do not trust the fat human to not lose the miniscule self-control he possesses and hurt you permanently. I will not abide such a thing master Ç_ Amicus said sternly.

And thus, the rest of that day was spent reaching within myself and forcing my gift to react to me quicker and with more strength. I worked on the branches and small bits of rubbish around me. I would pull things towards me, push them away, crush them, burn them, freeze them, shatter them, etc. Amicus made it very clear that I needed to be able to do all of this without breaking a sweat. I did agree it would be important. I was quite sick and tired of the normal people in my life ruining any enjoyment I might be able to scrounge up.

Over the next few weeks I continued to practice my gift. Amicus can be very demanding. The damn snake always calls me master, yet it seems like he is in charge sometimes. It wasn't as if it was a bad thing though. The more I practice the gift the easier it is to use. I no longer tire when doing simple things. I soon discovered that my gift also allowed me to do some pretty complex things if I concentrated hard enough. Honestly, it could be best be described as an extension of my will. If I wanted something to happen hard enough, I could make it happen. I soon found that I could actually mold objects into other objects if I really tried. It required a lot of focus and thinking about the mechanics of the change. I had to imagine the starting point, the ending point and a series of in between states. This discovery was made when trying to repair a piece of furniture that Dudley had managed to break without the proper screws. Because of course a 9-year-old is the best repairman. Honestly, how cheap were these people. But it seemed I truly was a good repairman because I could simply will things to become fixed. That made cleaning up after my oaf of cousin much easier. Not only could I repair damage but I seemed to be able to banish any dirt and grime from object. I wonder where it all goes. Perhaps to another dimension? I am sure I had read about possible theories on such things in my physics books. Either way it was a trivial matter.

Speaking of the wonderful whale, Dudley and his gang of friends had become particularly annoying lately and they started to get more physically abrasive as they grew. Dealing with them in my normal way had become tiresome and Amicus' constant nagging about killing them all really was both a blessing and a curse. A blessing because well frankly having someone care about me to go to drastic measures was touching and it was a curse because the more he talked about it, the less awful the whole idea sounded. I mean I needed the elder Dursleys, well at least Petunia. But Dudley had no real use to me. He was a constant annoyance. However, keeping his parents somewhat civil, at least civil for them, was helpful sometimes. His friends however, had no value. With that calculation in mind, I soon discovered that I can be quite the vindictive little wretch when I want to be. I certainly had a darker side that longed to shine and my targets soon became the loathsome children that revolved around my cousin.

The chase started like any other game of Harry Hunting. It had grown colder as September drew to a close and thus my labored breathing felt like knives through my throat and lungs. On top of that, I had been using my gift quite a lot that day before Dudley and his friends decided to have some fun so I was quite tired and not in the mood for any of this nonsense. I could tell that the fastest of them was catching up to me. Pierce Perkins had always been the strongest of them and was certainly their quickest. Not as quick as me, but since I was off my game today he was catching up. I soon found myself sprawled on the concreate with him looming over me, a sadistic smile plastered on his face.

"What are you going to do now freak" he sneered.

I could feel blood begin to trickle from my split lip and as I wiped it away I could feel white hot rage building behind my calm expression. It was unfortunate softer tissue didn't have the strength that other parts of my body did due to the bonding with Amicus. Thankfully Amicus had also transferred rapid healing to me with the bond and thus the lip sealed quickly. I walked slowly towards Piers with a burning fire in my mind. You would think after all this time I would have gotten used to them, but alas I just couldn't. I could not accept that these tormentors who were clearly inferior to me in every way could still get the better of me from time to time. Even with my intellect, my cunning, my gift, it seemed I wasn't good enough to stop them.

"You haven't really tried" a small voice said mockingly from the back of my mind. It was a voice of a child, about the same age as me. I didn't really recognize it. It was cold and distant. But with it also came a feeling of pity. It's as if it empathized but was angry I wasn't doing anything about it myself. I suppose that voice was right in a way. I haven't used my gift to force them to stop. I haven't shown them my abilities. Perhaps if I gave this boy just a taste of my power, he would stop. I could show him that I was truly better than him in every way. Surely, he would submit then.

"Yes" the voice said. "You are strong, they are weak, they deserve none of your mercy. Crush them with all your might. Don't win the battle, that will only delay the conflict. If you want it to stop you must win all of the battles that have yet to be fought" I heard the voice say in a deathly whisper.

Yes. I shouldn't be afraid of him, I shouldn't be afraid of any of Dudley's cronies. I should show them all that they can't mess with me or they would suffer severe consequences. Piers would serve as a good example. As I was lost in my own thoughts, Piers seemed to grow frustrated that I was seemingly ignoring him and decided to kick me in the side to refocus my attention. With my thicker hide the blow was much less pronounced then I am sure he hoped it would be. But regardless, it could not go unpunished. It was not long before Piers found himself on the ground unable to move. I looked at him with a wry smile on my face as I slowly stalked towards him. My shadow loomed over his face and as he made a valiant attempt to struggle against the invisible restraints holding him to the ground, his expression morphed from one of anger and frustration to that of a terrified child. Once his ill-conceived notion of power was gone, all that was left was a sniveling coward.

"What are you doing freak! Stop this! Let me go! What is wrong with you?" his voice began to shake as he realized the reversal of the roles he had come to expect each of us to play. I slowly circled him as I considered how best to educate him in the error of his ways. Pain would be the lesion but how to administer it would be a challenge. I could use my gift to shatter his bones easy enough, but that would leave visible injuries and could lead to them accusing me of attacking him with mundane means, with the evidence to back it up. No. I would need to be clever about this. I would need to hurt him under his skin. I had never tried anything so subtle with my gift. This would certainly require a fair amount of control.

"What's the matter Piers, have you fallen and can't get up" I said in a sickly-sweet voice. It seemed that Amicus chose this moment to come slowly out of the top of my t-shirt and lay on top Piers who had gone deathly pale at the sight of the serpent. He must be very afraid. After all Amicus was nearly two feet long at this point and nearly 4 inches thick. Not your average gardener snake to be sure. Amicus was now starting directly in to Piers' eyes and he had his fangs bared. I could see the strings of deadly venom drip from the fangs.

"Now Piers, let's get one thing straight. You will not ever push me again. Or I swear to you it will be the last thing you do. You will convince Dudley that Harry Hunting is no longer fun. And you will do whatever I say, when I say it. Is that clear?" I spoke quietly.

"f-ffuck you" he cried out in a defiant attempt to deny me. I think not. I reached out with my gift and could feel him. His fear, his anger, his frustration. Everything seemed to be open to me. I began to imagine a flowing energy crackling between my fingers as I stretched my hand out. At first there was nothing, but soon I could feel the tiny hairs on my arm stand up and could actually see small blue sparks snap between my fingers. Well this should be interesting. I let the energy build up until my hand began to shake. Once I began to feel a bit of pain myself I let the energy release and watched transfixed as a sharp snap of electricity shot from my hand and slammed into Piers. He convulsed violently and cried out in clear agony. All the hair on his body stud on end, blood flowed out his mouth as hit bit his tongue and his eyes rolled back in forth in their sockets. Once I had expended much of the energy I willed it to stop. As his tremors died down, I kneeled next to his prone form and looked him directly in the eyes.

"Are you done, Piers. Will you listen now" I said in a quiet voice. The fear in his expression was palpable and permeated the air.

"y-yes" he managed to stammer out.

"Good." I said in a much to chipper tone. "Then I believe it is time for you to return to the whale and tell him that you lost me. Don't you?" With that I released my gift and I no longer restrained him.

Seeming to recognize my dismissal Piers shot to his feet and took off in the opposite direction. It was only now that I could process the emotions that were flooding my mind. Using my gift like that. Forcing someone to bend to my will so completely felt good, really good. That level of control was intoxicating and based on the sweet noises Amicus seemed to be making he seemed to approve of my actions whole heartedly.

 _Ç I am proud of you master. Ç_ Amicus said simply. _Ç Finally you have stopped allowing the other human hatchlings to intimidate you. Now you must show the other disgusting humans that you are the one in charge. Ç_

I thought about that. The Dursleys were become a nuisance that needed to be dealt with. I couldn't legally leave there care for another 8 years and I would be dammed if I allowed them to continue to treat me the same way for all that time. I was confident that I had developed my gift enough to fight back. But I was unsure how I would go about it or when.

 _Ç All in good time, my friend. Ç_ I stated vaguely. In good time, indeed. There was also that other voice to consider. Amicus hadn't commented on it so it must have been a construct of my own mind. How I do not know. Perhaps it was a manifestation of my darker side, or some other entity that I was as yet unware of or perhaps the simplest explanation was the right one. I had simply just imagined it. It was an interesting thing to think about at any rate. Later that night I considered another possibility. Perhaps it had something to do with whatever was locked away behind the wall in my core. I had continued to chip away at it. Slowly but surely. The tendril connecting it to the storm cloud that was my gift continued to grow in thickness and luminosity. As I finished and finally drifted off to sleep I was assaulted with dreams of another boy in another time. However, these dreams were quickly forgotten and their meaning was unclear to me.

Over the next few weeks, I began to plan as to how I would confront the Dursleys. Time was dragging on and soon it was October 31st. I would say that it was the Dursleys least favorite day, other than perhaps my birthday. Halloween was a time when the freaks were normalized and the Dursleys certainly couldn't have that. But of course, with a child they just had to deal with It and pretend to be enjoying the day just as much as Dudley seemed to be. Obviously, I was not involved in any festivities but it was no matter, I could create my own. Tonight, I would strike swiftly and decisively. I could not tolerate their treatment any longer. I would show them who is really in control in this house. I would be their servant no longer, they would serve me instead. Of course, sometimes things do not go as I plan. I would soon have to change my intentions drastically as the many deceptions were unveiled.

It was late into the evening when I decided the time was right. Dudley had just arrived back from his sweats expedition. I am quite sure he did not need any more sweats but my opinion was irrelevant, for now. I schooled my features and with a determined expression, led Amicus to the kitchen where the Dursleys were sitting at dinner.

"Boy what do you think…." Vernon was cut off as a Dudley wailed at the top of his lungs.

"Mummy, Daddy, Harry has a huge snake!" the boy screamed. The two elder Dursleys eyes widened in horror as they saw what Dudley was referring to. Vernon began to tinge red and shook with visibly suppressed fury.

"Boy! You will stop this freakishness at once and will put that beast out of this house! I do not know where you got that thing but I will not have it, you hear me boy!" As he ranted he stood up and pointed his fork at me menacingly. It was comical watching him threaten me when I looked at it objectively. Had I not known that he could truly be vicious I would have thought he would be joking with his silverware antics.

"Oh, you mean Amicus. Well he is mine and I shall not be putting him outside Uncle. It is a bit chilly out tonight and he does not like the cold. In fact, I think he would much prefer to stay indoors now. I understand that he scares poor Dudley there but I am afraid that he is just going to have to deal with it" I said in a tone that would be more appropriate for small talk, rather than what Vernon wanted to be a shouting match.

"How dare you! I am going to give you the beating of your life" Vernon said as he approached me. "You will learn…" Vernon trailed off as he found he could no longer move. In fact, I am sure that he was quite alarmed that he also could no longer speak. I could see him shaking as he tried to physically force his way through my hold on him. The practice I had gained with Piers just a few weeks ago had made the whole thing pathetically easy. However, being able to turn the tables on Vernon and have power over him in what he would no doubt consider his domain was just as thrilling as it was with Piers. It was time to show Vernon how truly weak and pathetic. To that end I gave him a wry grin and started speaking.

"Now, now Uncle, I think you will drop that and will speak to me with a bit more respect" I said in a patronizing voice as if I were scolding a small child. I used my gift to twist Vernon's pudgy fingers until I heard a satisfying crack and the clang of metal as the fork dropped to the floor. Vernon's face portrayed the agony that he was in but he could not cry out as I had locked his jaw in place. I was just starting to think about all the painful ways I could manipulate Vernon with my gift when my attention was diverted to an ash stricken Petunia who seemed to have gotten a hold of herself enough to speak.

"Boy! Stop this now, how are you doing this, you must stop!" She screamed in a shrill voice. She began to rise from her chair, but was forced back down a moment later. I had no plans for her to get it in her head that she could defy me either. Her entire dementor had changed when she felt the oppression of my gift upon her. Where once there was defiance and indignation, now there was despair and meekness? She then began to babble in a defeated tone.

"This shouldn't be possible, Lilly could never do this!" she cried out. Those words definitely caught me off guard. Lilly was my mother's name. Why would my mother be able to do anything like me, unless she was like me? She had the same gift? My thoughts were cut short when Vernon lunged for me. It seemed that my momentary lapse in concentration had given him the opportunity to break free of my mental restraints. As I felt my uncle's hands touch my shirt, I slammed my palm against his chest and willed him to be forced backward. Unfortunately for him, my emotions were a little on edge due to the confrontation and my intent was a bit more than strictly necessary. Still it was interesting to observe a flash of purple light erupt from my hand and cascade upon Vernon's torso. I heard the distinctive cracking of ribs as the force caused Vernon to be unceremoniously flung across the room and slammed into the wall, with a resounding thud. He dropped to the floor leaving a small trail of blood as he dropped. He then slumped to the ground. I almost thought I had killed them man when I was disappointed to see that he was in fact still breathing. A pity truly. I then spun on the spot and faced Petunia. Her shock at seeing her husband so utterly defeated by me was replaced by sheer terror when it seemed that she realized I hadn't forgotten her comments.

"What did you just say about my mother" I asked her in a cold tone that told her exactly what I would do if she did not tell me the truth. Seeing what had just befallen her husband, Petunia seemed to think it was wise to not antagonize me further. She cleared her throat, steadied her breathing and then began to speak.

"Lilly was like you, a fre….different" she said slowly, her voice shaking as she almost insulted me and my mother yet again. However, it was not the insult that caused her to feel my ire. Insults I was used to, but this? This was something else entirely. They had kept possibly the most important thing about my mother from me. My mother had been unique like me, she had powers. She wasn't as utterly normal as the rest of her family. I suppose it made sense. I had to inherit these gifts from something. My parentage was as good an explanation as anything else. Now that I thought on it, I would bet that my father was unique as well. These thoughts made it very difficult not to make my Aunt scream until she passed out. But I needed to restrain my fury. I had other questions that needed answering. I took a moment to look over at Dudley who had remained remarkably quiet this entire time. Though the reason for this was soon clear to me and I must admit that my mood did pick up at the sheer absurdity of the sight before me.

Amicus seemed to take it upon himself to find a comfortable spot to watch this all go down and was therefore sprawled lazily on the table and was actually licking Dudley's face. The sight would almost be cute if it weren't for the menacing hissing that indicated the snake mannerisms were more in line with a predator tasting a future meal rather than a pet giving a gesture of enduement. This actually earned a grin a chuckle from me until I was pulled back to my Aunt by a small cough from her. I turned to here and pinned her with a deadly serious glare.

"Tell me everything you know and I may just not decide to kill you tonight" I said calmly. Petunia looked at me as if truly seeing me for the first time. It was clear that this woman hatted everything about me. But her hatred was masked by the sheer amount of fear she had towards me at this moment. That would suffice I suppose. I didn't need her to like me to listen to me. I was quite sure she would tell me the truth. After a tense moment of silence, she began to tell her story. She began by revealing the true nature of my gift, the fact that both of my parents had it as well, and also the circumstances that had brought me here. She explained to me about a secret society built on magic. She explained how my mother was a witch, the first in the family and how my father was a wizard whom came from this society and had married my mother. To hear her tell it, I should have grown up there for not a murder who killed my parents. Apparently, I killed this man who was feared by the other witches and wizards and thus was considered a bit of a hero. I could point out that my current living arrangements speak to how much they actually care about someone they consider a hero. But I had other things to consider. I would almost believe she was telling more lies. However, I had seen what I could do and I suppose magic was as good of an explanation as any. Also I am confident when I say that Petunia wouldn't have the creativity to come up with a story like that if she had years to prepare it, let alone tell it to me off the cuff as she now was.

"If what you say is true, then why am I here?" I asked. "You clearly hate me and don't want to take care of me. So why was I not sent to live with someone else from this magical community?"

"You think I wanted to take you in…" she began hotly. I was quite please when a simple sharp look from me got her into a much more amiable tone. "Look, we didn't have a choice. The headmaster of Lily's school gave me a letter and told me that you were the only thing that would keep us safe from the murder's followers. If we didn't take you in, he made it quite clear that they may come after us."

"And why was the headmaster of my mother's school making decisions about my living arrangements?" I bit out. This was frustrating. While knowing the truth gave me some answers, it brought up a greater number of new questions.

"He was a friend of your family, at least that is what I remember Lilly saying. I thought your godfather would take care of you, but clearly something prevented that from happening" she said in a tone that showed she really didn't care one way or the other.

"Godfather? What were my parents religious?" I asked her. That would actually be quite amusing. A witch and wizard being Christians. Oh, what would the medieval era monks think of that? I mean I didn't really believe in any of that tripe, but hey magic was real so who knows. But while this could be an interesting philosophical debate, it was hardly relevant at the moment.

"What? I don't think so. Lilly never really mentioned anything and if your father was anything it was likely one of the pagan religions. I think godfathers for wizards are just like trusted friends that you expect to take care of your children if something happens to you. But what do I know. I don't want to know anything about them." She said.

"Fine what was his name then?" I asked.

"You expect me to remember? I wanted nothing to do with your lot. All I know is he was your fathers best friend. Beyond that I really didn't bother to find out. The only reason I know is because he was at the hospital when you were born." She said tensely.

"Fine, fine whatever. Who is this headmaster that seemed to be taking care of things?" I asked her. I needed to get as much information from her as I could before I plan what I am going to do next.

"Albus Dumbledore. He was the one who brought you here. He has been paying us for your care. He mentioned in the letter that your parents left you a large amount of money so you could be looked after." Her face at this admission showed that she actually seemed a little embarrassed at the fact she was being paid and yet my care was so piss poor. Oh, now she wants to feel guilty? The nerve of this woman. I really did hate her, much more than she knew.

"Look what a fine job you have done" I said sarcastically. "Do you still have this letter?" I asked. I wanted to see for myself what this Dumbledore character had in mind for me. Especially what he was thinking sending me here of all places. She gave an affirmative nod, so I released the hold I had on her and told her to bring it to me. She looked like she was about to argue before she thought better of it. Good she was at least learning.

 _Ç Amicus, I have a new plan for us. Considering recent information, I do not believe we shall be staying her any longer. If there truly is a society of magic, then we shall go there. I will find my place there and I can be rid of the Dursleys. I am famous after all. I am sure I can find someone who will take me in. Ç_ Dudley paled even further at hearing me speak the snake language. I couldn't help but smile as Amicus continued to taunt the boy while letting me know that the idea sounded as good as any to him. It certainly was amusing that taunting Dudley seemed to be his favorite new activity. Amicus then decided to tell me that he would very much like to eat the "fat one" before we left. As much as I wanted to just let him, that would not do. I needed to be cautious now. If this Dumbledore was paying the oafs for my care, that means he might notice the loss of their other child. While I don't think he ever visited as I am pretty sure I am observant enough to notice the comings and goings in this house, I am pretty sure the Dursleys would not be subtle in their grief for an eaten Dudley. Plus, the threat of me killing him gave me leverage over them. I never had to do it, so long as they think I would. The fact that I planned on killing all three of them someday was hardly a factor.

 _Ç Perhaps a different time Amicus. I promise I will get you lots to eat later Ç_ I said attempting to placate my pet. _Ç Do not worry, we will come back for them Ç_ I finished. Just then Petunia slowly walked back into the room and shakily handed me the letter. I did note that this fabled letter seemed to be written on a much thicker sheet of paper than I would have expected. Also for something that was nearly eight years old, it looked to be in fairly good condition. Though honestly the strangest thing about it was that it looked as if the letter had been penned with a calligraphy pen or something. The appearance of the letter was certainly a curiosity. One that I fully intended to examine later. However, its content was far more important at the moment.

"Sit" I commanded Petunia. She obediently sat down and anxiously eyed my snake. "Dear Aunt Petunia, don't worry you're vacant little head about Amicus. You don't try anything and he won't kill you or your precious dudlekins. He only kills people when I tell him to." Of course, Amicus hadn't actually killed any people with my command or not, but she didn't need to know that. Well come to think of it, I wasn't with him all the time. The images of Amicus hunting the nationhood children brought a small smile to my lips. I looked over to the other two occupants of table and I felt they were both cowed for the moment. I looked down at the heavy letter and began to read.

 _Dear Petunia Dursley,_

 _My name is Albus Dumbledore and I am sure you are no doubt confused about the young child you have found on your doorstep. It has been a long time since we have last spoken, but I am sure you will remember me. Well to answer the burning question I am sure you have about the child I must tell you what has transpired recently in our would. I have the regrettable task of informing you that your sister Lilly Potter, along with her husband has been killed by the wizard Voldemort. I am sure you know who this man is as Lilly had said she informed you. I am very sorry for your loss and while I do not wish to burden you or your family further, there is the issue of Little Harry Potter. He is very important to us and as your family I have no doubt that you will want to ensure he has a good home to go to. As you no doubt have deduced the toddler on your doorstep is young Harry and I leave him now in your capable hands. While you were not Lilly's primary choice for guardian, circumstances have come to pass that Harry will be safest with you and your family. Take note however that in turn your family is safer due to his presence in your home._

 _In order for you to understand my meaning, there are some other things you should know. Voldemort is also dead, or as close to it as one such as him can be. Harry is responsible for this, due to a protection left by his mother. While I confess the nature of this protection is yet undetermined, I do suspect that the love Lilly had for Harry had something to do with it. This protection will extend to you and your family due to blood protections I have placed around your home. Why should you need such protections? Well even though Voldemort is gone, his followers are most certainly not. It has quickly become well known in our world that Harry was responsible for Voldemort's downfall and as such they will be after him. As such they will looking for any link to him they can find. I am very sorry but it seems that your relation has also become known to select individuals in the wizarding government and I cannot trust them all to keep this to themselves. You must understand that Voldemort's followers are very vindictive people and I would hate for something bad to happen to your family, especially with the recent birth of your own child. I am sure you can find it your heart to give Harry a place in your home. For the good of all your family._

 _However, it is very important that Harry grow up in the right environment. He is going to be hailed as a savior for defeating Voldemort and it is imperative that he play his part. In order for stability people need idols and heroes to look up to and envy. Harry must be that for the common wizarding public. But in order for that to happen, he must grow up with a strong work ethic, humility and most importantly he must not be allowed to become arrogant. Such a thing could create an image that would tarnish the work that must be done to defeat the forces of darkness once and for all. To that end, it is very important that Harry not know about his place in the wizarding world. I would much prefer that Harry not even know about magic until he is collected for school when he turns eleven. So Petunia if you do this for me I will give an incentive. Harry's parents left him an inheritance and you will receive £2500/month for his care. This should help you provide for his needs while also giving your family a bit of extra spending money for the added burden. Do not worry about any pesky logistics. I have taken care of everything. If I am satisfied that you are meeting my conditions, then the money will simply appear in your account._

 _I hope that you will take my words to heart and just know that I will know if things are not adhered to._

 _Your faithfully,_

 _Albus Dumbledore_

As I finished reading the letter, I began to stew in my anger. So, this is why I had to suffer. It seems my life was simply a series of moves in this Dumbledore's chess game. I was merely a tool to be used as he saw fit. Keep me ignorant, compliant and in his own words humble. Well the bastard had another thing coming if he thought I would be his puppet. Perhaps Voldemort was the monster this man made him out to be, or perhaps not. Both he and Petunia had mentioned that this Voldemort character had followers. While notorious murderers sometimes amassed a fanbase and sycophants, they rarely gained followers. Followers were a symbol of either a cult or more often a political cause. In any case this man wasn't simply the murder I thought he was initially. It seemed that there was some sort of conflict in this wizarding world. There were clear defined sides. Voldemort and his followers were on one and Dumbledore and my parents were on another. It was certainly a lot to take in and before I made any judgements on what this conflict entailed and my opinion on it, I would need to have more information. It was food for thought at the very least.

As I was contemplating this I heard a groan of pain from Vernon. Honestly, I had forgotten all about the despicable man. He still appeared to be bleeding from his skull and was looking a little pale. As much as him bleeding to death would make me happy, the implications of the letter made it clear that Dumbledore was at least keeping some sort of watch here. How I could not be sure, perhaps he had his own followers who came by every now and again. I didn't find it too likely but I suppose he could also use some kind of magic to monitor things. Though since no one had come bursting in to stop what had gone on tonight, such monitors clearly had limits if they were in place at all. So many questions on this new world with so very few answers. In any case, Vernon's continued survival had a purpose for now. It seemed tonight would not be the night he dropped of the mortal coil, shame.

"You might want to take him to hospital, he seems to have managed to cut his head open" I said in a mocking tone. "But before I let you get to it I have a few more questions. I intend to leave this residence for the time being. I need to know how to get to this wizarding world that I am hearing so much about tonight. They must have establishments where I can learn more, libraries, historical records, shops, etc." She looked as though she would like anything but to help me further, but it seemed that the prospect of me leaving had clouded that notion completely.

"Diagon Alley" she said hoarsely. "Lilly went there every year to get her supplies. It is the only place I really know except for her school Hogwarts, and I don't even remember where she said that is. Either way you should be able to find everything else from there" she concluded.

"And where would I find this Diagon Alley" I asked with genuine curiosity.

"London" she said flatly. "The main entrance is through a pub that is on Charing Cross Road" she said looking towards her increase ill looking husband. I signed as I noticed this. Yes I suppose I should be rapping this little conversation up shouldn't I?

"Alright Petunia, I will not be returning in earnest until I need to for my own letter. I may stop by from time to time just to keep up appearances, though I will do my best to avoid this residence. I will of course still be going to school and if anyone asks, I still live here. You will not speak of this night to anyone, or I swear to you that I will be back and I will torture you three just as you have tortured me all these years and then I will kill all of you, very slowly." I stopped speaking just long enough to ensure my words had sunk in. "Am I understood?" I asked her. At my hard tone, she anxiously looked over to Dudley and then Vernon. Finally, she looked at me with clear trepidation.

"Yes" she stammered out.

I extended my arm near the table and simply sent a mental command for Amicus to come. He began to wrap his body around me, just the way he likes. I then purposefully strode out of the room. I stopped by my cupboard momentarily to take one last look. There wasn't anything of value to really take and I planned on getting new things once I established myself anyway. I was already wearing decent school clothes, so there was no need to change. I turned away from the cupboard and walked out into the cool night air. My steps rang of the empty street. I looked towards the dark cloudy sky. Well I suppose now is as good as any. I thought of where I wanted to go. I pictured every detail I could in my mind and shut my eyes in concentration. Soon I felt the familiar oppressive crushing feeling and disappeared with a resounding crack.

 **Author's Note:** Well that is it for that chapter. I do apologize for the late release of this. A unforeseen medical emergency had me laid up for a while and unable to peruse this with any real conviction. However, everyone should be happy to know that I have fully recovered and fully intend to get back on the Monday release schedule. Please let me know what you guys thought of this chapter. I hope I didn't portray Harry's shift into violence too starkly. I tried to convey that these feelings had been pent up for a while and he really just needed the right push.

How will Harry cope with being on his own and free. What mysterious will he discover about the world he has never known, about his family, his past and perhaps his future. Find out in the next chapter "Diagon Alley".


	6. Chapter 4: Diagon Alley

Series: Choosing a Darker Path

Book 1: Beginnings

Chapter 4: Diagon Alley

 **Author's Notes:**

 _Ç Denotes the use of parseltongue Ç_

Alright a little longer chapter for the delay with the last chapter. I will warn everyone that this one is a little dialogue heavy and is mostly setup. I tried to flush out things to the degree I felt they should be flushed out.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes)

As the oppressive feeling subsided, I found myself on Charing Cross Road in London. It seemed my magic had been quite literal in my request as I could see the road sign just in front of me. Well at least I was still in one piece. I am still warry about using teleportation. Perhaps I shouldn't be though. For all I knew, it might be pretty common in the wizarding world. My lack of knowledge on such a vital part of my heritage is a grave concern that must be dealt with. But first, to find this Diagon Alley Petunia spoke of.

 _Ç Master, I do not like your teleportation magic. It is not a pleasant experience Ç_ Amicus hissed in my ear.

 _Ç Well neither do I particularly, but I didn't want to walk to London. I don't suppose you know where we are going? Ç_ I responded.

 _Ç No master, I do not. My knowledge is limited in scope. I have some innate knowledge of my abilities and those of creatures like me, but that is it. I did not even know the human word for it until the woman mentioned it. Ç_ Amicus said.

 _Ç I'm surprised you caught any of my conversation with my lovely aunt at all. You seemed utterly uninterested with learning my language. Ç_ I commented dryly to him.

 _Ç Yes well, I do learn some things master. Also, I am still firm on my position that human languages are less elegant. They don't express nearly what my kind's tongue can. Ç_ He said with what could be best described as an all-mighty sort of tone. "I will concede that I learned the language as best I could because I knew I would be able to serve you better master."

 _Ç Naturally Ç_ I said sarcastically. Honestly, you would think Amicus was the greatest of all creatures with his superior speak. Though now that I think about it, that is exactly what he thinks. Well he certainly is the deadliest and he is my pet. Well shit, now he has me doing it too. I will honestly need to keep that in check. As I looked up from our short conversation I did notice something odd. As my eyes roamed over the dimly lit street I took in the buildings. While most were fairly typical, one definitely caught my attention. It looked more run down then the others. It wasn't in a state of disrepair per say, but It definitely didn't look as new as anything around it. Looking to the sign on the door, it read "The Leaky Cauldron". Well how cliché is that? I suppose that could be a name for a pub. I shrugged and began to cross the street towards the building. I suppose it is as good a place to start as any.

As I entered the building, it was like walking back in time. The woodwork gave everything a rustic feel and the dim light that illuminated everything flickered in intensity telling me that clearly it was lit by fire. I could see several booths and tables. The place was pretty sparsely populated, odd. I would think a pub would pick up in the evening hours but it seemed that this wasn't really the case. I suppose I should ask for directions. I knew I would need to act the dumb child here. Not one that doesn't know anything, but one that is simply lost. It would be a little risky but I needed to have some sort of assistance until I could get my own bearings. I looked toward the counter where a man was cleaning a glass. The man appeared to be rather haggard in appearance. I would judge him to be in his late 70s at the least. He had no hair which only made his elongated walnut-like head more prominent. As I approached him he looked up and gave me a toothless smile.

"Well hello there young lad. What can I do for you?" he asked me. He seemed nice enough and would likely believe my story. I gave him a shy smile and tried to act my actual age, a difficult feat for me considering how advanced I was.

"Well Mister…" I started

"Tom, please my boy, you will make me feel old" he said beaming at me.

"Ah…ok, well Tom. I was wondering if you would be able to help me get to Diagon Alley. You see I was with my parents and I just got this idea to go see the non-magical people. I may have kind of left my parents and well I kind of got a little lost" I told him trying to appear embarrassed.

"Oh, your poor boy. I am sure your parents are worried. That wasn't a very smart thing to do but well getting you back to the alley shouldn't be too much trouble, should it?" he asked rhetorically. "I assume you and your parents must have been finishing some last-minute shopping for the day. I know that it seems safe in the alley even at night, but you need to understand that the muggle world isn't always as safe at night. But I am sure your parents have told you that. Well are you going need help finding them one I let you back into the alley?" He asked as he started walking towards the back, seemingly expecting me to follow him. As I trailed after him I gave him a quick shake of my head.

"Oh no sir…I mean Tom. We are to meet at the bank if we get separated while shopping" I replied with childlike confidence.

"Oh, well that shouldn't be too difficult then, should it? Gringotts is a tad bit larger than the rest of the buildings." He offhandedly commented and opened a door on the back wall. As I followed him, I found myself in a small stone courtyard that was quite spartan save for a solitary rubbish bin. Tom strode towards an old-fashioned looking brick wall and pulled out what I could best describe as a long, crocked stick. I did notice that unlike a stick picked up off the ground, this one seemed to be polished and looked as though it had some markings in it, curious. He proceeded to tap the stick on one of the bricks. I took note of the particular brick he used and decided to risk something.

"Tom usually I see my parents just tap on the brick, is that all it takes? I mean if figured I couldn't just use my finger?" I said with some actual trepidation in my voice instead of the fake voice I was using before.

"As opposed to a wand you mean? Well you obviously can't have one yet since you are too young and while yes you can use your finger if you put a bit of magic into the tip, that isn't something you will learn until you are at Hogwarts. That sort of focusing isn't taught till later years either." Well good thing I already know how to focus my magic then. By the way he makes it, I imagine that most wizarding children aren't capable of the kind of magic I can do. Well it is good to know that I will be even good for a wizard.

"Well thanks again Tom. You really helped me out there" I said cheerfully. But just before I was about to run off he called out to me.

"Lad you didn't think you were going to be able to pull a fast one on Tom did ya? I mean with the way you are dressed what is going on here is obvious" he said sternly. Shit, this isn't good. Perhaps my acting isn't as good as I thought. "You planned the whole excursion didn't you? You probably told your parents you were just trying out the muggle fashion." He said suddenly a grin appearing on his face. "I will commend you too, you must have done your research. Usually, we are complete rubbish at imitating the muggle styles." He gave me a little wink. "Don't worry lad, your secrets safe with me. I was your age once and a little harmless scheming never did a child too much wrong." He gave a little laugh.

"Well you caught me. Thanks for not telling anyone though" I said with a genuine grin. This man wasn't too bad and he wasn't as thick as I originally thought he was. I mean he got my intentions wrong but with his limited information it wasn't a bad conclusion to draw. I realized that the entrance way had parted magically it seemed and I was now presented with Diagon Alley it was quite a stark contrast to the Leaky Cauldron. The area still had an old-fashioned feel about it, what with its winding cobblestone pavement lined by gas powered lamps, it's structures being primarily made of brick, stone, or wood, old fashioned tempered style glass windows, etc. It was hard to keep my expression the same. But it was important that Tom not think that I wasn't expecting the sights in front of me. I turned to Tom and politely said goodbye. He walked back towards the pub and as I stepped through the archway I noticed the bricks collapse back into a wall behind me.

I began to walk down the street and noticed shops claiming to sell a variety of magical items: potions, strange sounding objects which if I had to guess I would say they were probably used in those potions being sold, enchantments, spices, and even a shop that sold a wand like Tom the barkeep had. I also noticed a variety of shops that seemed to sell more mundane items such as clothing, food, drinks, luggage trunks, writing supplies and a fair amount of pet shops. While I would have liked to explore these shops, and see what was on offer, I needed to get to the bank to pull out some funds that my parents had left me. Dumbledore had been giving the Dursleys 2000 quid a month, so the amount my parents left me must no doubt be quite substantial. Either that or my money was nearly depleted. Though he did make it sound like it would pay for my school supplies as well so I doubted that it would nearly gone two years before I even started school. In any case, many of the shops were already closed anyway due to the time of night. I would need to find some hostel somewhere that wouldn't ask questions about a 9-year-old staying by himself. A difficult prospect in a modern country. But based on first impressions of the wizarding world, they seem to be a close knit and old-fashioned sort of community. Thus, they may not deem a child staying by themselves too strange. The barkeep didn't seem nearly as alarmed as I thought he would be about me being on my own at least while in the confines of Diagon Alley. Only time would tell I suppose.

After a few minutes walking, I arrived at Gringotts. I could see why Tom had said it would be hard to miss. While most of the buildings were made of brick or wood and were at best three stories tall, this building was monolithic by comparison. It had to be at least ten stories tall and was made of solid marble. It had huge pillars that served as support and I could see two enormous bronze doors at the end of a white marble staircase. As impressive as the building was, the two creatures standing vigil as guards were what really caught my attention. They were odd, to say the least. They were short in stature and had long ears as well as sharp hook noses. Their skin was sallow and pale, yet each did have a slightly different shade. The one on the left had more of a green tinge while the one on the right contrasted that with more of a yellowish hue. Both wore uniforms of scarlet and gold and had what presumably was the bank's crest on their chests. They also were wielding spears and had an expression that I could best describe as complete and utter boredom. I could sympathize, standing out there all day must not have been the most glorious job at the bank.

I began to climb the stairs and kept my eyes forward and simply gave each of them a curt nod. I was surprised when I got a perplexed expression from them. I simply acted as if I hadn't noticed and waited for them to pull the doors open for me. I soon entered an antechamber that had two identical doors held open this time across from me. No doubt this was a measure meant to trap someone should the bank need to stop them. I looked up and noticed a gilded engraving above the second set of doors.

 _Enter, stranger, but take heed_

 _Of what awaits the sin of greed_

 _For those who take, but do not earn,_

 _Must pay most dearly in their turn._

 _So if you seek beneath our floors_

 _A treasure that was never yours,_

 _Thief, you have been warned, beware_

 _Of finding more than treasure there._

Well I definitely held some respect for the owners of this bank now. The creatures out front were small but they were menacing and the poem made their policy on thieves quite clear. They were not worried; the poem was meant to be a challenge. It dared someone to try to steal from them and suffer the consequences. Now if the poem was more than empty words, which I have no doubt this is the case, I am sure my money is safe. I began to walk down the polished marble floor and after exiting the next set of doors, flanked by yet more of those creatures, I entered a long grand hall. Lining the sides of the hall were large heavy wooden countertops. Behind them perched on stools more of the strange creatures were examining various gems, weighting what liked like gold, silver, bronze and some other precious metal I couldn't identify from this distance, helping customers, exchanging what was clearly pounds for some sort of coins, etc. It seemed as though the creatures actually ran the bank in truth instead of just guarding it, interesting. I could see a few people milling about near the far counter. It seemed that there weren't too many customers this late into the evening. Good, it should be all the easier to remain unnoticed. Thankfully I could see that one of them was also wearing non-magical type clothing, I suppose the term Tom used was muggle. That must be how they refer to non-magical people. I walked purposely forward and queued up for the next available teller.

"Next" a shrill creature called up. It was lucky that I was the last customer and it seemed no one else had entered behind me. That was fortunate. I am sure he would ask my name and I don't need everyone blabbing that they heard Harry Potter was at Gringotts. Discretion was key until I was able to get a better handle on things. I stepped forward and the creature looked down at me with a slight sneer on his face.

"And what can I do for you?" he asked tartly.

"Hello, I need to speak to someone about my account" I informed him. I figured my best tactic with this one was to keep it short and to the point. He seemed to not be the type who liked to doddle. In fact, he was quite rude, if I was being honest. But I couldn't take every slight as a personal insult. At least not yet.

"Name" he growled out.

"Harry Potter" I replied simply. Ha, that got his attention. His eyes bugged out and they seemed to unconsciously float to my forehead. Ah, but of course, he was looking for the scar.

"My hair is covering it up at the moment. Though I would rather you simply get to business instead of ogling at my person" I said in a short tone. The creature seemed to get a hold of himself and gave me a curt nod. He seemed to shift his demeanor to one of slightly less hostility. Well at least I was making some progress with him.

"My I presume you have your key" he asked.

"You may not presume that" I said. "I unfortunately have not been in the wizarding world for some time and I seem to have never been given any key. However, I am sure a fine establishment such as this can accommodate my lack of key by identifying me with something else" I said in a tone that implied I was getting impatient.

"Your face is young, yet you talk as if much older" he contemplated seemingly to himself. "Good then I shouldn't have to dumb things down for you. You are correct, we do have ways of identifying you without the key. It will cost you a fee however" at this he gave me a toothy smile.

"Would it be too much to ask you to withdraw the funds from my account once my identify is verified?" I asked him.

"That could be arranged, assuming you are whom you claim to be" he replied simply. He then proceeded to draw a silver dagger from his tunic and pulled what appeared to be parchment from the desk. It was similar to what Dumbledore had written his letter to Petunia on. However, this parchment contained some sort of symbols on it etched in a stylized ink. "Prick the end of your finger with the blade and simply allow three drops of your blood to fall upon the parchment" he instructed me. "It will display your full name if you are in our records, which you will be if you have an account with us."

I took the offered knife and pressed it firmly into my palm. It took quite a bit of force. Damn my thick skin due to Amicus. Speaking of Amicus, he had been rather quiet. He seemed content to just sleep the journey away wrapped around me. If only he was a little lighter. Thankfully he was out of sight for the moment. I don't need them thinking I am trying to sick a magical snake on them. After the requisite number of blood drops had fallen onto the parchment, I pulled the dagger from my palm. My accelerated healing took care of the cut almost instantly. The creature gave me a somewhat quizzical look when he seemed to see my skin heal. Perceptive little bugger, isn't he? I handed the knife and parchment back to him. He placed the knife back into whatever pocket he had pulled it from and laid the parchment upon the counter.

I watched with some interest as the symbols glowed gold and the blood droplets on the page began to thin out and form the words: " _Harry James Potter_ ". I looked up at the creature expectantly and tapped my foot. It seemed the portrayal of a very inconvenienced customer got me what I wanted with him so I continued to play to that notion.

"It seems that you are indeed Harry Potter" he said, almost disappointed. Perhaps they were going to cart me off as an imposter if I had not been who I said I was. Perhaps I would ask at a later time what they do with people who try to illegally access other's funds. "Griphook" he shouted out in a voice that was louder than I thought he would be capable of producing. A slightly shorter and younger creature appeared from one of the alcoves behind another part of the counter. I could see he was moving with some haste and that he wanted to please the other creature whom had given him the command. Clearly the one at the desk was a higher rank.

"The Potter account manager is still here is he not?" the older creature asked Griphook.

"Yes sir. He does not leave until about 8:00PM typically" Griphook replied in a slightly higher pitched tone.

"Good. Take Mr. Potter here to his office and inform him that his client wishes to discuss the current state of the accounts with him" He commanded Griphook. Griphook gave the other creature a bow and motioned for me to follow him. Alright, I could finally get some answers. We proceeded through a door off to the left and found ourselves in a well-lit corridor. Griphook didn't seem to want to make any conversation so I didn't engage him. We soon arrived at a heavy oak door which Griphook gave a few quick ponds of his small fist.

"It opens" a muffled voice called from within. Griphook opened the door and motioned for me to enter. He said something in a language I couldn't identify and then bowed out of the room. In front of me was a very elderly creature. It seemed as they aged their teeth yellowed considerably as when he gave me a small smile as he stood up I could see what honestly were quite disgusting piss yellow sharp chompers. He was a little taller than Griphook and his fingers seemed to be twice as long. He had greenish-yellow nails that seemed to be filed to a deadly edge. As I gave a quick look around his office, I could see that it was quite richly decorated. A large red throw rug covered most of the black marble floor. The dominating feature was a heavy mahogany desk that was flanked by an overly sized plush red chair one side and two slightly more reasonable sized comfortable looking red chairs on the other. The office was lit by candle sconces in the walls which gave somewhat of a homely feel to it. The creature gave me a speculative look before beginning to speak in a deep voice.

"Griphook informs me that you need to speak to me about the status of the Potter accounts. Am I correct Mr. Potter?" he asked.

"That's right' I said in a neutral tone, as I wasn't sure what was the best tactic to take with him.

"Well please have a seat then. My name is Ragnok, I am your account manager here at Gringotts. Let me please welcome you back to the wizarding world Mr. Potter. Both on behalf of myself and the rest of the Goblin Nation. Let your vault never empty and your gold ever flow." He proceeded to give me a small bow of his head as I sat in the chair on the left. So, these creatures were goblins then. Well they fit the description from folklore and stories, I suppose. Since magic was real and I was now seeing something straight out of a fairytale, it got me to wonder how many of those old tales had some truth to them. It was food for thought at any rate.

"Thank you for your most gracious welcome. I confess I do not know much about the Goblin Nation nor the wizarding world for that matter. As you have correctly surmised, I have not been here for some time." I said politely. I decided to go with a formal and polite mask for Ragnok. He had shown me some respect and seemed to be trying to give a more formal method of conversation. Hopefully, this would work best. He gave me a small nod of his head, accepting my explanation.

"A pity that Mr. Potter, truly. But it is of no consequence, you are here now and seem to be taking an interest in your finances. I must confess that I would have expected someone to accompany you here for such important business" he said, the unasked question clear. Time to tread lightly.

"My _caregivers_ are not of magical descent and have no interest in our world. I am the last of my true family as far as I am aware and despite my young age I figure that the sooner I begin to look to my financial future the better." I told him. I was surprised that he actually gave me a genuine smile at that.

"You speak quite elegantly for your age, young wizard. I whole heartedly approve of your keen interest. After all, we goblins make financial planning a key part of our own children's life. After all, it is never too early to start growing ones financial aptitude. Well to business then." As he finished speaking he snapped his fingers and a stack of file folders appeared on the desk. Well good to know he has magical abilities as well. I wonder if all goblins do or just some, as with humans. The folders contained many separate crisp sheets of parchment within. Ragnok then drew another parchment from his desk with similar markings as the identification sheet I had to use in the lobby. He shifted a few things around to form what most have been his ideal workflow and then looked to me again.

"Now Mr. Potter. You are obviously the heir of the Potter household. However, you have yet to claim that status officially. Before we worry about that, there are other considerations to ponder on. You will find Mr. Potter that I am a man of efficiency and if you will indulge me, I would like to conclude as many of the pending business matters in one session as possible. It may take some of your no doubt valuable time but I believe it best in this circumstance." At my nod of approval, he continued. "As I have said, you will clearly be the heir of the Potter household, but you may be an heir to other households as well. There are not many wizards as compared to the muggle population. Thus, many of the families have interconnected bloodlines. Dual heirship is not all that uncommon. I also know for a fact you are the beneficiary of other accounts, due to your _unique_ status. It is my desire that you take an inheritance test so that we may deal with all of your holdings and other interests in the immediacy. Everything will automatically be compiled in one nice neat spot for s. I will do you a curtesy and offer this test to you without the usual associated fee. Think of it as a gesture of good faith between burgeoning partners with a common goal of making the most profit possible." He finished giving me a bit of a smirk.

"Forgive me, I don't want to stereotype you" I said carefully. "Would it be too forward to presume that most goblins in your profession would not be so _generous_ " I gave him a small tile of my head. This seemed to earn an actual chuckle from him. That sound was a little off putting. It honestly had more in line with a garbage disposal than an actual noise of an organic being.

"Well I am glad you are following so closely. A future raven at Hogwarts, eh? Or perhaps a snake? It is of no matter. Your forward assumption is not as forward as you think. A stereotype would require the statement to be untrue in actual circumstance. So what I am getting at is that you are correct. Goblins are known for many things, Mr. Potter. Generous offers are not typically one of them." I was unsure what he was referring to when he said raven or snake, they must have some significance to the schooling at Hogwarts. I felt even more sure of a desire to research everything I could about this world so I did not feel so ignorant with off-handed comments like these. However, I had a feeling this was some sort of test put on by Ragnok. Instead of taking the bait I simply shrugged my solders in a sign of indifference. I would neither admit a weakness or proclaim an undeserved strength. If he expected more from me, he would be disappointed. Disappointment seemed to be the farthest thing from his expression however.

"Ah, well that answers my question then" he said vaguely. "Is that a yes then to the inheritance test?" he asked.

"Your logic is sound so yes I will take your test. I want as much information as possible. I have years of catching up to do after all" I replied.

"Too true, Mr. Potter. Well as you can imagine this will involve a sample of your blood. Many of our detections do. Blood is a powerful magical carrier. Three drops will suffice." He then proceeded to move the parchment over to me and pulled a similar silver dagger from his formal jacket just as the teller had pulled from his black tunic which seemed to be a uniform for non-management employees. I grabbed the knife from him and repeated the process of slicing my palm to provide the blood for the test. This time instead of simply showing surprise at my rapid healing, Ragnok actually commented on it.

"How exactly did you just do that, if I may be so bold as to ask?" he questioned me.

"I heal quite rapidly. It is…." I trailed of for a moment as I contemplated what to do. I decided to ask a question instead. "Mr. Ragnok…."

"Just Ragnok is fine Mr. Potter." He cut me off.

"Alright Ragnok, you can refer to me as Harry then. I have a question for you before I explain further about your inquiry." I told him. He gave me a gesture indicating that I should ask away. "I trust that the meetings we have are confidential? You would not divulge any information I speak to you to anyone else." I asked him.

"Of course, Harry. I am bound to your family to keep your confidence when it comes to financial matters. As far as other information goes, so long as it isn't something illegal, I would not have any reason to share it. Besides, I am under no obligation to tell anyone anything even if it were illegal. Just that such interactions would come out if I were to be put under a truth spell or potion." He explained.

"Good. However, while I am sure your word is your bond, I will inform you that if any what I am about to tell you leaves this room, you will find yourself out of, if I do say so myself, a very lucrative customer" I said to him in a tone that showed certainty that was somewhat fake. I had inferred that I was quite wealthy but I could still be wrong on that. He gave me a toothy grin.

"Oh, I would expect nothing less Harry. You aren't half bad for a wizard." He said with another guttural chuckle.

"I am not sure if I should take offense or be flattered" I said sarcastically.

"To each their own" he quipped. "So, your healing abilities?" he questioned.

"Yes those. Well you see I have a bonded magical creature that provides me with some _enhancements_ " I explained carefully.

"You are quite young to have a bonded familiar, typically the earliest that is seen is Hogwarts age" he said with some interest. "Where is he or she at this moment?" he asked. Ah so they had a specific word for it. It must be something that wizards typically do.

"He is here. He is of course sleeping, it is what he does best to be honest. He likes the warmth that my body heat provides. I do not however leave him away from me for very long. He doesn't take too kindly from not being able to be near in case he is needed. He is quite protective if he wants to be" I explained.

"May I see him?" Ragnok asked. "The test will still take a few minutes to finish."

"I suppose so" I replied. _Ç Amicus, stop being lazy and come out here. I have someone for you to meet Ç_ I hissed to the snake. I felt Amicus begin to stir but I was distracted by the gasp of breath taken by Ragnok.

"You are a Parselmouth!" he exclaimed. His eyes had now taken on a glint of intrigue and he was visibly shaking with excitement.

"You must forgive me Ragnok, I am unfamiliar with the term" I informed him.

"Of course, of course. Let me explain. A Parselmouth is a person who can speak Parseltongue, the language of serpents. It is an exceedingly rare gift and is generally seen as an ability possessed by wizards of the darker inclination" He finished. He now took on a calculating look. He was waiting for my reaction to this information.

"Well that is certainly interesting. Well based on your description, yes I believe I am a Parselmouth" I said simply. This was clearly not the response he was expecting. However, he seemed pleased by it nonetheless. By this point Amicus had completely uncoiled himself from my body and was lazily draped around my shoulders. He was looking at Ragnok with trepidation, as if assessing if he was a threat to me or not. I would point out that he probably should have checked long ago, but I had told him to remain unseen so it was my fault really. Now that I knew wizards having familiars was common enough for it not to be too shocking, I wouldn't be hiding him away any longer. I didn't need to tell people how powerful the bond was between us. If Ragnok was worried about Amicus, he gave no comment. Instead he smirked and began to speak.

"And Harry the label of possessing what many consider a dark ability doesn't bother you?" he said in a sing-song type of voice. If he thinks people thinking my nature was darker than normal bothers me, then he clearly hasn't assessed my attitude yet. I suppose there was ample time for us to asses one another as we continued this meeting and likely many more later.

"Why should it?" I asked him. "People may think what they wish. Perhaps they are correct, perhaps not. It is of no consequence to me. I do not concern myself with the opinions of the masses. My actions and my nature are mine alone and I shall not shape myself to fit their pre-conceived notions of me. Sure, I will put up a mask or two where necessary, but I will not pretend to be something I am not if it does not give me any real gain. I could pretend to be a goody too shoes." At his look of confusion, I elaborated. "A muggle expression, it means utterly good, but It is typically a derogatory descriptor for someone who goes against their self-interest to do the 'right' or 'moral' thing, never willing to explore the other side" I explained. He gave a quick nod and had a look of understanding on his face. "As I was saying, I could be that and possibly enamor myself to fools who want to worship me, but I would give up the ability to be myself. I believe freedom of expression and value in oneself is important and I will not allow weak minded imbeciles to take that from me" finishing my little rant.

"Harry, I must say that I can respect your opinion" he began. "It is honestly quite a mature sentiment to have. Most people try to please others, even to the point of their own detriment. You may have noticed that we goblins take a more brunt approach in most circumstances. If you have displeased us, you will generally know it. While there is a time for subterfuge and subtlety. Sometimes the best approach is the true one, even if others disapprove. But we have spoken on this long enough. Back to your familiar. He is obviously a magical serpent. Do you know what kind he is?" He asked.

"I do not" I admitted. It would probably be a good idea to find out so that I could understand all of his properties and be sure that I knew how big he was going to get. At the current rate, my body would break from his girth.

"I confess I am no expert in magical creatures" he explained. "But perhaps you should pick up a book on magical serpents and compare him to the ones listed until you find a match" Ragnok suggested. "I will say that he is quite a sight, whatever his species."

 _Ç Master, I have decided I like this one Ç_ Amicus said simply.

 _Ç You would like him just because he complimented you Ç_ I told what I now knew to be my familiar _._ I tried to lace the hissing with sarcasm but I am unsure if it translated properly. Whether I had succeeded or not was unclear because Amicus didn't comment on it.

"Well, Harry it appears this discussion will have to continue another time as the test has completed. And I must say the results do speak volumes. At least now I can see where your Parseltongue ability comes from. Though the nature of how such a connection exists is a mystery. The test isn't able to determine such things I am afraid" he said with a little disappointment evident.

"Oh, please do tell" I told him. Instead of elaborating, he simply gave me the parchment he had been scanning over. The length was quite surprising and it did indeed speak volumes about my wealth. That was for sure.

 _Client Inheritance and Vault Ownership Test_

 _Client Full Name: Harry James Potter_

 _Father: James Charles Potter (Pureblood)_

 _Mother: Lilly Jane Potter Née Evans (Muggleborn)_

 _Godfather: Sirius Orion Black (Pureblood)_

 _Godmother: Alice Celia Longbottom Née McKinnon (Pureblood)_

 _Client Blood Status: Half-Blood_

 _Client Titles:_

 _The Ancient and Most Honorable House of Potter – Heir | Right of Blood (Last of Line)_

 _The Ancient and Most Nobile House of Black – Heir | Named by Lord Sirius Black_

 _The Archaic and Most Nobile House of Slytherin – Heir | Magical Connection (Nature Unknown)_

 _Vault Ownership (Ordered by Depth – Ascending):_

 _Vault Number/Name Contents Total Value_

 _Vault 9 – Slytherin Family Vault (Restricted Sp. Cr.) Unknown Unknown_

 _Vault 52 – Black Family Vault (Heir Access Sp. Cr.) Heirlooms, Currency 5.64 million galleons_

 _Vault 68 – Potter Family Vault (Full Access Sp. Cr.) Heirlooms, Currency 8.84 million galleons_

 _Vault 687 – Potter School Trust Vault (Full Access) Currency 25,000 galleons_

 _Vault 711 – Sirius Black Personal Vault (Heir Access) Currency 278,384 galleons_

 _Other Consolidated Vaults – Bequeathed (Full Access) Liquidated 3.3 million galleons_

 _Special Note: Consolidated bequeathments have been merged with Potter family vault for your convince._

 _Total Unrestricted Asset Value 15.07 million galleons_

 _Properties (Unapprised) Unordered:_

 _Name Location_

 _Godric's Hollow Cottage Number 18 Church Street, Godric's Hollow, England_

 _Black Ancestral Town House Number 12 Grimmauld Place, London, England_

 _Potter Ancestral Manor Number 4 Burren Way, Clare County, Ireland_

 _Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry (Partial Ownership) Unplottable_

 _Bound Creatures:_

 _8 House Elves (Potter Family) – Potter Ancestral Manor_

 _5 Hippogryphs (Potter Family) – Potter Ancestral Manor_

 _2 Thestrals (Potter Family) – Potter Ancestral Manor_

 _1 House Elf (Black Family) – Black Ancestral Town House_

As I finished reading the parchment, I wasn't sure what to think. It seemed I was far wealthier than I could have imagined. Well I now had my answer about who my godfather was, Sirius Orion Black. It would be ideal to get some official guardianship other than the Dursleys. I needed to find out what happened to him.

"I'm sure you can imagine this is a lot to handle" I told Ragnok. "While I obviously would like to discuss everything that I own. I need to ask you something first. I pointed to the 'Godfather' line of the parchment. This man, Sirius Black, it says here that he is my godfather. Based on my Aunt's descriptions of things that isn't really a religious title in the wizarding world but is instead one of responsibility. She said that I should have gone to him. He was my father's best friend. Where is he at this current moment and why would I not be living with him instead of my relatives?" I asked. Ragnok hesitated for a moment before shaking his head as if coming to a decision.

"Lord Black currently resides in Azkaban Prison. He was put there on 13 counts of murder of muggles and for the betrayal of your parents. It is said he revealed their location to the Dark Lord and was therefore responsible for their deaths." He said. His face showed that he seemed genuinely sorry. But something didn't add up right away for me.

"If what you say is true, then why did Lord Black name me his heir?" I asked him.

"That is a good question. One moment please." Ragnok snapped his fingers and another folder with parchment appeared. He dug through several sheets and then began to read one in particular. After a few moments he looked up, a calculating expression on his face.

"According to the account notes left by the Black estate manager, it appears Lord Black named you his heir on July 31st, 1981. That would have been your first birthday and only a short while before that faithful October night. I would have said that Lord Black just hadn't had time to remove you as heir before being incarcerated if he had made you his heir when he became your godfather. But with it being so close to his supposed betrayal it seems quite odd he would make you his heir if he knew you would be dead. I could make discrete inquiries to find out more about this, but we will need to table it for now."

"Yes, please do" I informed him.

"Apparently, I also have a godmother. Would she have the same responsibility as my Godfather?" I asked him.

"Yes she would. However, Lady Longbottom is currently a resident of the Perminant Ward at St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries due to severe spell damage. She would be unable to take care of you" he informed me.

"Well it seems everyone that was supposed to take care of me is either dead or incapacitated, just my luck" I said a little bitterly. Sometimes it was hard to control my emotions, no matter what I tried.

"I apologize Ragnok, let us get off the subject for now. Could we discuss my inheratence test?" I asked him.

"Of course. I will be happy to answer any questions you may have" Ragnok replied.

"Alright then" allowing myself to think about anything else than the worst parts of my life. This part was at least good, there were silver linings to most things. I looked at the parchment and began to speak. "Well, I see several Sp. Cr. as well as certain levels of access for each account. Do you think you could explain that to me?" I asked him as I pointed out the areas of the parchment I was referring to. Ragnok looked over the sheet for a moment and then began to explain.

"Sp. Cr. stands for special circumstances. It is on each of these accounts because of unique situation where the access is different than it normally would be. If you look at the Slytherin vault for example, it has an access level of restricted. This means you cannot access anything within it and cannot even visit it. The reason is because of restrictions placed on it by the current Lord of the house of Slytherin, whom is not as of yet deceased. You are the magical heir so if he changed these restrictions or were to die the circumstances would change and thus access restrictions would change with them. There are two levels of meaningful access that an heir can have, full and heir access. What this means depends upon the instructions left with each family's account." He paused to ensure that I understood what he meant. I gave him a nod and he continued to move down the chart.

"The Black Family vault is giving you heir access. This is not normal for the Blacks, typically the heirs are given a trust vault similar to that of the Potters. Any items the head of the family wish the heir to have would be placed there. However, since the current Lord Black is incarcerated, you are the acting Lord. This doesn't mean you can claim the title nor does it mean that you can fully access the vault without restriction. The reason for this is that the Black Lordship cannot be claimed by anyone who has not reached their magical majority, that is 17 years of age, unless they are last of line. Heir restrictions on the Black Vault are….." he trailed off as he shuffled with some papers in what I now could tell was the Black Family file. "Ah here it is" he continued. "The heir may withdraw a maximum of 50,000 galleons worth of heirloom, currency, artifact, etc. per month. This restriction may be waived if the amount being withdrawn is needed for a special occasion. This determination is at the discretion of the current Lord of the household or if he is indisposed, then the account manager" Ragnok read.

So, I could remove 50,000 galleons per month. Speaking of which what the hell is a galleon. "Ragnok what exactly is a galleon. I surmised it is the currency used in the wizarding world but I have no context for how much money that actually is" I explained.

"Last I checked the exchange rate, which was just yesterday, a galleon is worth 4.93 pounds sterling. The galleon is also subdivided into two other forms of currency that is used in the wizarding world. You have a silver sickle, which is worth 0.05882 galleons and the bronze knut which is worth 0.002028 galleons. This equates to 17 sickles to a galleon and 493 knuts to a galleon. Also, there are 29 knuts to 1 sickle." As Ragnok finished his explanation, I honestly wanted to bang my head on the desk. That has got to be one of the most needlessly complicated currency system I have ever heard of. It seemed like everything else it was archaic and thus didn't have any standardized and easily divisible pieces. As I looked at it objectively, I could see one thing that made way too much sense.

"Who created this _wonderful_ currency system" I asked him, my voice dripping with sarcasm. Ragnok gave me a toothy smile and I could tell that I had been right.

"Why we of the Goblin Nation assisted the wizards of course" he replied clearly proud of their accomplishment.

"And let me take a shot in the dark and say that it is so complex so that you can get the most money out of people getting lost in the numbers" I said in a deadpan voice.

"You catch on quick, don't you?" he said with clear humor in his voice. I gave a sign and simply told him that it was getting late and I would like to move on. He gave me a smirk and continued on.

"Alright, moving further down we can see the Potter Family Vault grants you full access. This is also a special circumstance case. You would normally only get heir access, but if you look higher up on the sheet you can see that you are the last of line. This causes special provisions to take effect, allowing you to manage all of the family's finances. However, due to restrictions imposed by the Ministry you cannot take the lordship until the minimum age of fourteen, even with the last of line clause in effect. Next, there is the Potter trust vault. This vault is a standard vault that lords typically setup for their heirs to deal with schooling and any possible post Hogwarts pursuits they may have before they start their career. The Potter trust vault is setup with a 25,000 galleon limit which is fully refilled upon the 1st of January of each year. Typically, this teaches the heir responsibility while also ensuring they have enough money. A lord may reduce or cut off the amount of money they are giving to their heir if they feel they are spending too much or if they think they are not living up to the family's ideals.

Moving right along your godfather's personal vault. He has not stipulated any specifics on heir withdraw limits. Probably didn't care one way or another. So the heir access is a technicality more than anything. There are no restrictions on your ability to withdraw money from this account. Are you still with me so far?" he asked. I was looking at Amicus and absent-mindedly stoking his scales. Ragnok must have thought I was drifting off into space. I most certainly was not, I was just considering and planning what I would be doing with my new-found wealth.

"Yes, please continue" I told him.

"Finally, we come to the bequeathed assets" he said with a grimace. "This has been a simply annoying amount of paperwork."

"Ok…I know I talk like someone who is much older than I am, but I still am 9 years old and to be honest I have never heard that word in my life" I said with clear displeasure in my tone. I hated not knowing things.

"Not a very common word to be fair" he offered in a conciliatory tone. "When someone bequeaths something to another individual it is just a fancy way of saying they are giving it to them" Ragnok explained. "However, the word is usually only used in the context of will making, as in who do you give your things to after you die. You are the ever-famous Boy Who Lived and you will not believe the numbers of witches and wizards who want to give the last of the fortunes to the great Harry Potter" he said with a sneer on his face. "No offence to you of course. It is just we Goblins find the idea of hero worship most displeasing."

"Well that makes two of us" I said with clear annoyance. "I imagine the loads of paperwork is because of the combining of vaults mentioned in the special note." I said giving him a well-educated guess.

"You are correct. So, I do hope our standard policy isn't displeasing to you and I have to now separate the vaults" he said with a tone that suggested just how much he loathed such an idea.

"No that will not be necessary. I would have requested it anyway. Assuming my vault is big enough to handle everything" I replied.

"For the currency, absolutely. The objects not nearly enough. However, since our standard policy with unspecified Bequeathments is to simply to sell any and all possessions that our appraisers don't consider significantly valuable, there is no concern on space as of yet. Of course, for a fee we can always expand the vault's expansion charms, but that requires an actual directive from the account holder" he said with a smirk, correctly interrupting my annoyance at all of the clever fees goblins seem so fond of.

"As you can see at the bottom you have 15.07 million galleons. This is approximately 80 million pounds for context. Though you are pretty smart, so I am sure you could do the math. You are quite a rich wizard Harry. Not the richest, but certainly the richest 9-year-old to be sure. Though there is always room for more profit" he said with what I swear was a twinkle in his eyes.

"Naturally" I smirked. "We can indeed talk about such things at a later date."

"Yes, now before we move on to the properties, I wanted to address something I have noticed as I examined your statements." Ragnok said.

"Oh, and what is that?" I inquired.

"Each month a payment is being made from the Potter family vault. It appears to be authorized by the executer of the Potter will. Unfortunately, the ministry says the will has been sealed by the Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, Albus Dumbledore." I was unsure what a Chief Warlock was or what the Wizengamot was but I intended to find out.

"I am aware of the payment you are speaking of. It is a payment to my guardians for taking care of me, the little that they actually do." I said hotly. "I highly doubt my parents had any such provision in their will, they were under the impression I would go to Sirius Black. Based on my Aunt Petunia's telling, he was their best friend and as I can see from the Black's finances he would need no such payment." At Ragnok's look of shock and furry I had to quickly continue.

"However, even if these transactions are illegal, you will allow them to continue" I said in a clear voice.

"I'm what…" he spluttered.

"You are going to let them continue" I reiterated. "You can change Gringotts records to reflect that you plan to dispute the original payments and add the payments under my authorization. We will go after Dumbledore for this at a later date, but I do not want to antagonize him yet. I do not have all the information I need to properly face him, yet." I explained. Ragnok gave me a piercing look. He seemed to be contemplating something. A few tense moments of silence stretched on before he decided to speak again.

"Alright Harry. I will respect your wishes for now. Let me make it clear however that the Goblin Nation does not abide thieves and we will get what is your back, this I promise to you" he said in the most serious tone he had used to this point. I gave him a curt nod and sighed deeply.

"Finally, we come to the properties. Now there are several here. Some may not be in the best state of repair, being neglected, but that is what house elves are for. They will need to officially bond with you in order to begin working again…." he began to quickly rattle off.

"Hold on, I did see that term on the sheet, but what exactly is a house elf?" I asked in a slightly exasperated tone.

"Right. Sorry. You really must educated yourself as soon as possible. House Elves are small creatures that have magical abilities and are bound in service to a wizard or more communally a wizarding family. They basically do your bidding, whatever it may be. Cooking, cleaning, shopping, and other odds and ends. In exchange, you provide them with excess magical energy. It extends their lives far beyond what they would normally live. It is a win-win sort of relationship. Over the years they seemed to have grown quite fond of service. We goblins do not use them due to cultural differences, but wizards have used them for some time" he rambled on.

"Alright, I saw there were quite a few for the Potter Manner, but only one for the Blacks' townhouse. Do you have any idea why that is?" I asked.

"Well the Blacks never had as many as the Potters due to the size difference in residences, but I believe the Blacks still had several, but as their numbers declined they must have decided it was not necessary anymore. It is odd though. Generally, it is my experience that multiple elves are used because of different skill sets, just as with human servants."

"Alright, I will probably head to the Black Town House after this. It is in London so it is somewhat convenient. Is that everything?" I asked him.

"Not…quite. There is one more thing before I let you go." Ragnok said as he began to dig through the drawers of his desk. After a few moments, he pulled out two wooden boxes. One appeared to be made of a black stained oak while the other appeared to be possibly be redwood, or it was painted to resemble that, I wasn't exactly sure. He set them in front of me. It was at this point that I noticed the clasps holding both of them shut had some sort of design, possible a crest of some sort. The red box's crest appeared to have a Griffin on a field of red and gold with a shield bearing the name "Potter". Behind the shield was a sword and a wand in a cross pattern. The black Box's crest appeared to have a black bird highlighted in purple flames on a star field gripping a wand in its talons.

"As I am sure you can surmise, these boxes belong to the House of Potter and the House of Black" Ragnok said. "They contain the heir rings. I want you to put them on. Assuming you are deemed worthy by the family magics of each house, they will resize to fit your fingers. The rings offer a number of enchantments to protect you from minor spells and attempts to penetrate your mind. While it won't protect you to the extent Occlumency would, and won't offer the other benefits of an occluded mind, it will deter attacks and you will know when someone is trying Legilimency on you. Your familiar bond should work as your magic considers that a non-foreign presence. Each is also a portkey with a separate activation word that will take you to the ancestral home of each house. The activation words can be found engraved on the underside of the boxes' lids" Ragnok explained.

I touched the red box intending to open the clasp but raised my eyebrow when the claps opened automatically. At my look Ragnok explained that nay member of the family could open the boxes but only the rightful heir could claim the rings. I opened the box and saw the ring. I must say I was impressed. The ring was gold and had a large ruby set into it. The ruby seemed to have been perfectly cut in a way that allowed it to have raised sections which formed a duplicate of the crest on the box. As I turned the ring over in my hand I felt that it was warm to the touch and began to see writing emerge in glowing letters. It read: _hostem vincere ultima mors est._ I placed the ring on my left ring finger and felt a jolt of energy shoot up my arm. I could feel the warmth increase in intensity for a few moments and watched as a dazzling glow surrounded my entire body in gold. The fireworks seemed to die after a moment and the ring resized to fit my finger. The warm feeling from the ring died away and Ragnok simply nodded pleased. I looked on the engraving on the underside of the lid and noticed the word there: _domum_

I put my hand upon the next box and the clasp took a moment before opening, perhaps because I was simply named a black and was not one by blood. The ring inside was even more impressive than the potter ring. It appeared to be made of a black steel with an onyx set into it. The onyx was similarly cut allowing for the crest to be formed on the face of the ring. It even appeared as if the stars on the field of the crest glowed faintly on the ring. Upon picking the ring up I could feel in contrast to the Potter rings warmth, this was ice cold. It wasn't unpleasant though. I place the ring on my right ring finger and similar spark shot through me. I soon found that light seemed to not be able to shine upon my body and I was shrouded in darkness. Soon the ring resized to fit my finger and I gave Ragnok a satisfied smirk. Looking at the engraving in the box I could see the Black Family's activation word was _purasanguinis._

"Well it seems that both rings have accept you, Heir Potter-Black." Ragnok said with clear amusement in his voice.

"Oh please don't call me that. Just keep it to Harry" I said with in an annoyed tone.

"As you wish Harry. However, you should know that purebloods whom are not famailiar with will address you by your title should they be aware of it. It is only proper after all. Perhaps you should pick up a book on wizarding customs to help you with such interactions" he suggested.

"Perhaps, it probably couldn't hurt" I said. Indeed, I would need to pick up a lot of books if I were to catch myself up on everything. "Speaking of purchasing. I would also like to make a withdraw from my account" I said, now remember the actual reason I came here in the first place.

"I anticipated your request" Ragnok said in a smug voice. "While you were dealing with the rings I sent a request to Griphook to go to the Potter Family Vault and extract 1,000 galleons for you. I also had him include a chunk of sickles and knuts for dealing with change or very inexpensive purchases. Total value amounts to approximately 1100 galleons." Of course for a fee we can throw in a proper money pouch. It has anti-theft charms on it so only you can carry it, it has feather-light charms, undetectable extension charms and will call forth the exact amount of money you specify with a voice command." Ragnok said, swiftly sliding into a salesmen's voice.

"Alright, alright fine. I will get the pouch. I was going to ask about how to carry the money anyway" I told him. Seemingly on cue, Griphook arrived with and placed a black leather pouch which had loops for a belt on the desk. As Griphook departed, Ragnok handed me the pouch and smirked.

"What I was sure I could sell you on the pouch" he said in mock offence.

"Oh but of course you did" I said sarcastically.

"Never you mind that, there is something else you should know about the heir rings. They can be used to purchase things through purchase orders. Simply stamp your seal into wax on one in a shop and they will send it here for payment processing" he explained.

"Well that will certainly make very large or complex purchases easier" I mused.

"Indeed, that is generally the use of that feature" he said.

"Alright. Thank you Ragnok. This has been most enlightening. I am sure I will return once I am more settled in the world. I would like to go over my investments and possibly look over the current interest numbers. But that can all wait for the moment. I would also like to speak with the Black account manager next time we meet." I told him as I stood up, stretching the ache from my body due to sitting for such an extended period in one position.

"Very well Harry. Just come to Gringotts to schedule a date for a sit-down. Please Include anything you would like to speak of and I will ensure all relevant information is available." He said by way of dismissal. I stood and gathered up Amicus. I gave Ragnok a nod and then said in a clear voice: " _purasanguinis_ "

 **Author's Notes:**

Well that is it for Chapter 4. Thank you all for reading and give me your thoughts. Your feedback is always appreciated. I would still like to get a beta reader to help me proofread and make sure story elements work, so if anyone is interested in doing such a thing, please message me.

So, what is next for Harry. How will he adapt to his new place in society? How will he react to meeting Draco for the first time? Find out in the next chapter: "A Whole New World".


	7. Most Ancient and Noble House of Black

Series: Choosing a Darker Path

Book 1: Beginnings

Chapter 5: The Most Ancient and Nobile House of Black

 **Author's Notes:**

 _Ç Denotes the use of parseltongue Ç_

Edit 12/08/2017: Thank you PukwudgiePuff for pointing out a typo and an inconsistency. Arcturas should have been Orion and Walburga was referring to her nieces not daughters. I have edited the chapter to correct these mistakes

I apologize for the delay in the posting of this chapter. There are a variety of reasons for the delay. See the end of the chapter for the detailed explanation as well as an update to the scheduling for this story.

Additionally, those of you who read the previous chapter when it was posted can see that this chapter's title is different than what I promised. Well that is because I waffled a bit on the focus of this chapter until settling on a topic. I will be updating the previous chapter's author notes to make it consistent for new readers.

As the words left my mouth, I felt a sharp pull as if a hook had grabbed me behind my naval. In short order, I was overwhelmed with the sensation of spinning. My vision was clouded with a cacophony of colors all blurred into a horrible mess. Thankfully, the experience was less unsettling than the that of my normal teleportation abilities. Whether this was due to my age and relative inexperience or due to the different style of teleportation the ring implored, I could not be sure. Perhaps such things could be looked into at a later time. As quickly as the sensation had come, it departed. As I examined my new-found surroundings, I could see that I now stood in a pitch-dark room. Frankly, I would be utterly blind for not my improved eyesight thanks to the bonding with Amicus. Speaking of my serpent, he was complaining profusely of stupid human travel methods. I uncoiled him and told him that he could slide on the ground if he enjoyed his means of transportation so much. If snakes could truly glare, I am sure he would be giving me a truly terrifying death glare right now. With my familiar dealt with, I set about establishing exactly where I was. I should be at 12 Grimmauld Place, but there was no real guarantee of that. I saw no reason for Ragnok to lie, however it was not out of the realm of possibility.

As my eyes raked across the room I could tell that not only was it dark but it appeared to not be in the best shape. It seemed that I was looking at the remains of a grand entrance hall. To my left I could see two doors leading off to what were no doubt other ground floor rooms. Directly next to me stood a large bone made stand of some sort. As I peered to my right I saw a large expanse of wall adorned with several paintings and other hanging ornamentation. Directly above my head was a rather dirty but clearly expensive chandelier. It appeared that the candles that would normally occupy it were missing. I began to creep forward at a methodical pace. A faint creaking of old wood permeated the air. It became abundantly clear that this room and likely the entire house, was in a shameful state of disrepair. Assuming this was my new home, it would seem I had a lot of work caught out for me. The large ornate rug that covered the hardwood floor seemed to have sustained serious water damage and was frayed at the ends as if feasted on by small creatures of some sort. The walls had not seemed to fair much better as the paint was cracking and the wallpaper was peeling away. To finish the dreadful look, the place was absolutely filthy. It was evident that no one had occupied the space for quite some time. I stopped my tentative pace towards a rather large staircase when a sharp snap of what I suspected to be a door further down on this floor caught my attention. Perhaps I was not as alone as I first thought.

 _Ç Amicus, it appears we have company. Get out of sight and prepare yourself Ç_ I instructed him softly.

 _Ç Of course master, though…. Ç_ he trailed off as he flicked his tongue scenting the air. _Ç With the abundance of filth it is hard to pinpoint, but I do not believe there are any other humans here master. Whatever made that sound is something different….I have not scented anything quite like it. Perhaps it will be tasty Ç_ he finished menacingly. 

_Ç We shall see, my pet Ç_ I replied as I began to stealthy approach the source of the sound. As I moved, I could my magic wrapping around me as if I were wearing it as a cloak. It had done this before when I did not want to be heard or seen and it made me able to completely avoid detection. Hopefully it would server me well here. I placed my hand on the floor near a door on the far side of the hall. I was fairly certain that whatever had made that noise was on the other side of the door. I could feel small vibrations in the wood that indicated that whatever I could feel wasn't particularly heavy footed. Whether that meant that the thing was small or was simply good at remaining light on its feet, I could not be sure. It seemed that whatever it was it was coming this way as I could now hear it as well. I silently pushed myself behind the door just as it swiftly swung outward. Soon the darkness was penetrated by a blinding glow and I could see a shadow moving under the now open door. From my spot behind the door, I could now see what it was that made the sound and I must say, it certainly was a sight.

It seemed that the cause of the small vibrations had indeed been the fact that whatever creature was standing in front of me was quite small. If I had to guess, I could say it stood no more than three feet tall. The creature's stature was the least interesting thing about it however. I would compare its appearance to a shriveled corpse. Its skin was grey and was pulled across its feeble skeleton, giving it a leathery appearance. I generally wouldn't like to speculate with such little information on such a creature, but if I had to guess I would say that this thing was old, extremely old. Just then it stopped and began to mutter to itself.

"Creature knows someone is here. Intruders in _Mistress'_ house. Creature knows, oh yes, he does. The wards tell Creature someone is here, but Creature does not sense them. How is that?" he mused. His voice was scratchy and very deep. It reinforced my notion that this thing was well past it sell by date. I began to slowly creep towards it, ready to grab for it in an instant. It had spoken about being told by the wards and not sensing the intruders as it had called me and Amicus, so I can only assume it must be magical. I would bet this thing was the house elf mentioned on the inheritance test and if it was than this thing was my property. With that in mind, I would reveal myself. I had no reason to be wary of it. It was mine and it would obey me. Just as I was about to grab for it, Amicus' hiss could be heard as he approached the creature from the other side. It whipped itself to face him and brought one hand up which flames erupted from. It shot the flames at Amicus and while I was at first concerned, I had nothing to worry about. The jet of flame bounded off Amicus' hide and fizzled out. Just as this occurred, I grabbed hold of the little thing and forced him to face me instead. I found myself face to face with it, looking down upon its sallow face and I stared directly into its tennis ball sized dark orbs with malice in my expression.

"You dare attack my familiar" I snapped at it in a cold whisper. The expression of both shock and genuine fear brought a warm feeling to my heart. I was glad that I could terrify others so easily. "Whom do you think you are that you can strike at what is mine" I hissed at it. The creature seemed too shocked to move or respond to my inquiry. After a short time, it seemingly gained some semblance of what was going on and began to struggle.

"Creature is defending the family's home. You and that snake intrude upon the Ancient and Nobile House of Black. You are the ones who dare. Not poor Creature. No poor Creature is a good elf who will not allow intruders to steal and violate this place, no Creature won't!" he groaned with each word increasing in volume. Just after he finished I could now hear wailing from a woman's voice at the top of the stairs.

"Intruders, thieves, scoundrels, how dare you defile my house!" she shrieked. Once the woman began screaming, the house elf started speaking about waking his mistress. I had lost my patience and had endured quite enough, thank you very much. I shoved it to the ground hard, adding a bit of force with magic to hammer home the point.

"You are the elf bound in service to the House of Black" I said raising my voice for the first time. I fixed the thing with a healthy glare until he finally responded.

"Yes, Creature is the house elf to the most…" he began.

"Good" I cut him off. "Then you will obey. I am Harry Potter-Black, heir to the Ancient and Nobile House of Black and I order you to stop and heed my commands." At my words, I could see the Black Heir ring glow a dark red that bathed the room in its ruby light. It seemed that my outburst certainly had an effect on the elf. He began to hyper ventilate and I could swear he was digging his nails into his palms to keep from sobbing. He eyes were transfixed on my ring for a long time before he looked at me and seemed to deflate.

"Cr-creature has a n-n-new m-master" he stuttered. "C-creature can see you are indeed the heir. The ring would not allow someone unworthy to bear it. Creature lives to serve" he said bowing so low his nose touched the floor.

"Good" I stated softly. "You will come with me" I said more forcefully. By now I could see Amicus was poised ready to strike the elf for the fire spell that I am sure Amicus took as a personal affront. _Ç Amicus, you will not strike him. He is my servant now and you were not actually hurt by him anyway Ç_ I said with a smirk, knowing that this would not please him in the least.

 _Ç But master…. Ç_ he whined. _Ç How am I supposed to teach the foolish little thing its place if I let such a slight go unpunished? Ç_ Amicus hissed with clear annoyance in his voice.

 _Ç You will have to get creative I am sure Ç_ I replied sarcastically. _Ç Regardless he will be punished but as I see fit and not as you do. The only sentence you seem to know how to carry out is death. While I am glad for your ability to do so, sometimes a more flexible response is called for. At the moment I need to stop this incessant screeching. Ç_ To give effect to my words I signed dramatically and fixed the elf with my stare again.

"Who is yelling up there? My familiar has informed me that there is no one else here. So, am I to assume there is some sort of alarm magic or something like that?" I questioned the elf sternly. I was unsure if he had a name. He had referred to himself as Creature but I am not sure if all elves call themselves that or if that really was his name. It was odd that he muttered in third person as well. To me this didn't speak to normal behavior even for a creature such as him. Likely he had gone senile with his old age. Because even with my little knowledge of his species I had to come to the conclusion that he was indeed old based on the available evidence. Speak of the devil, more ramblings. Perhaps I should pay attention?

"New heir insults mistress, oh what is poor Creature to do? What indeed?" he stated with clear distress.

"I am talking to you Creature. Answer my question now" I said hotly.

"Mistress' portrait does not like to be disturbed, _Master_ " he said. It was clear that he did not view me as his master even though he said the word. That would have to change and quickly. I cocked my head as I thought about it. So, the elf claims a portrait was the one making the sound. I suppose it could be possible. Perhaps magic made the portraits able to speak. That was a disturbing thought, were they alive or merely some sort of simulated life. Perhaps a doppelganger of the individual who was painted. This required some research at a later time.

"Show me" I said to Creature, my tone clear that I expected him to do it quickly. He seemed to understand the intended message as he gave a quick bow and began to head up the stairs. I followed him noting the rather annoying creaking as we began to climb towards the second level. As we ascended the stairwell, I noticed the rather interesting stuffed heads of what I could only assume were previous house elf servants. It was certainly an odd display. Was it a warning to the other elves they would suffer a similar fate if they displeased the family or was it some sort of place of honor to show the best elves. Preserve them for their faithful service? That was an amusing thought. I kind of liked the notion in a morbid way. I supposed it fit the rest of the décor. It did not escape my notice that Amicus seemed to be right behind me. I would not have believed he would be able to slither up the stairs at such an alarming speed. I suppose he either was insistent on protecting me or he really wanted to just stay near the elf so he could eat him when I wasn't looking. While I would have loved for the former to be true, and to be fair it was almost certainly the main factor, I am sure the latter possibility was on his mind at the very least. We arrived at the landing shortly and as we approached the screaming grew louder and I soon discovered what the elf was referring to when he said his mistress' portrait was the source.

Hanging on the wall opposite the landing was a very realistic painted portrait of an irate looking woman. The portrait seemed to stick out like a sore thumb. Not just because it was moving instead of being static but because it was much cleaner than the area surrounding it. in fact it was completely spotless. To either side of the paining lay two very heavy black curtains, equally as grime free. The portrait frame itself was also quite exquisite and clearly expensive. The woman depicted was probably in her early 30's if I had to hazard a guess. She had long flowing dark blond hair and a facial structure that portrayed very aristocratic features. I would even say she was somewhat pretty looking, for not the contorted lines that her screaming had created. And speaking of screaming….

"How dare you! Who are you and why have you come here! What right do you have to invade my house you scum, filth, mudblood! How could someone such as you get past my ancient protections!" she continued to yell the insults at me one after another. While I was amused at first, that amusement quickly transformed to annoyance and that annoyance quickly transformed to anger. She did not have a pleasant voice and its current volume was quite problematic.

"SILENCE!" I shouted at the top of my lungs, attempting to infuse my demand with magic. I was satisfied when the house around me began to shake and groan under the invisible stress of my power. The woman in the portrait looked utterly shocked and actually had some fear in her dark brown eyes. She did indeed shut up and my ears were thankful for it. "Now, we will talk like civilized people. Well person and painting, I suppose" I said with a small chuckle, my demeanor shifting to a little bit cheery now that she had kindly stuffed it. "My name is Harry Potter-Black, son of James Potter and Lilly Potter neé Evans and I am now the Heir to this house named by Lord Sirius Black. So I will answer your earlier question with another question. What right do you have to exist in MY house. Who are you and why shouldn't I just break you in half?" I asked with keen interest for her response.

"You c-cannot be…" she trailed off her eyes searching me. It seemed she found what she was looking for when she noticed the heir ring. She continued to speak after a moment of contemplation. "Potter, you say. You said you were James' son, right?" she questioned me.

"You are correct. But back to my earlier inquiry, who are you" I demanded, annoyed she ignored me.

"Me? You…..." she trailed off with a sigh. "Never mind, fine. I will answer your question, even if you are being an impolite brat. I am the portrait of Walburga Black, daughter of Pollux Black and Irma Black Neé Crabbe. I was the matron of this house from my husband Orion's death to my own around four years ago" she rattled off in quick succession. "Now that I have answered you question in a such a polite manner, you can answer some of mine" she stated. While I hardly considered her way of talking to me polite, I would indulge her for the moment. Perhaps if I gave her the responses she sought, I could get more answers out of her as well.

"I will hear your questions" I told her flatly.

"How is it that you are the Heir?" she asked in a much softer and polite tone, showing a genuine curiosity. "I understand that you said you were named heir by Sirius, but why would my son even bother, he seemed to care little about the family when I was still alive" she told me.

"Your son was Sirius Black then?" I asked her, trying to match her civil tone. At least we were getting somewhere.

"Yes…" she said hesitantly. As she considered something her eyes seem to glaze over in some sort of reverie. "He was…...a difficult child. He never listened to what I had to say and ran away from us when he was a teenager. He resented me because he thought I was too overbearing and perhaps I was. But he didn't understand that he was to be the Heir, my eldest child. I was easier on his brother* Regulus because Regulus wouldn't have the responsibility that Sirius had. Sirius needed to understand that he would take over the family once me and his father Arcturus had both gone. He needed to grow up and he never really did" she said sadly. "I was so angry when he left that I blasted his name of the family tapestry in the drawing room. I have had time to think about it and upon reflection I came to the conclusion that I was angrier at myself than him. He was my little boy and I just didn't understand how he could have hated me so much. I am sure after our tiff he thought I disowned him. He probably didn't even realize by naming you his heir he was naming you the heir to the Black Family." she said with a tone that suggested she was very annoyed with the assumption she suspected Sirius had made. With that she seemed to realize that she had let her guard down and her demeaner shifted to be more guarded and she now had a terser tone. "I mean it wasn't as if he ran off with a mudblood or gods forbid a _muggle_." I noticed she said the word mudblood with some distaste, but her use of the word muggle hinted at absolute loathing. Interesting, so it seems some wizards don't like muggles very much. Good, I am inclined to agree with that notion. "However, I do here that he redeemed himself in the end, so it is not all bad I suppose" she said her tone shifting to fondness. "Anyway, I want to expand upon on my earlier question. When did he name you his heir and thus the heir of the family?" she asked.

"A few months before he was incarcerated in Azkaban" I replied. I was a little annoyed that the supposed betrayal of my parents was a redemption in her eyes. But I guess I couldn't be too bitter. My parents were fighting in a war and she was clearly on the opposite side. I really couldn't take something like that personal. It appeared most wizards had taken a stand in this war and I still lacked enough information to make an informed decision on how I would have sided. I would not want to alienate half of the wizarding community if they aligned with my views, simply over a personal grudge. For now, I would stick with neutrality.

"I see" she said clearly considering something. "Well I suppose it could be worse. You are a Half -Blood and while I am not happy about a member of the family having lowly blood, at the very least you are not a mudblood, I would not abide such a thing. In fact, I am sure the ring would not have accepted you if you were one. If you marry a good pureblood than the family's reputation and standing shouldn't be harmed too much" she droned on clearly on the warpath to ensure the blood purity of her family. Speaking of that, I am sure she was an expert on the subject, so I should probably ask her about that.

"Besides it isn't as if you weren't part of the family anyway" she said simply.

"What do you mean" I asked her, my previous train of thought effectively derailed. As far as I knew I was only part of the family because of Sirius.

"Your grandmother was a Black" she said with slight annoyance. "Honestly have they told you nothing. She was Dorea Potter neé Black after all. Charles was a good match even if he was dreadfully light" she said. So, it seemed as if I actually did have some Black blood in me after all. This was good, It meant that I wasn't simply just an heir by name. I would have had a claim by blood as well. Perhaps not the first claim but a claim nonetheless. This would help if anyone sought to challenge my authority. But I needed the question about these blood terms answered.

"About this blood business. I have heard the terms, but I would like to know exactly what they mean" I told her. She looked quite put out by my request, scrunching up her face as if she had smelled something truly vile before deeming to respond to my question.

"Who educated you boy?" She demanded. "How is that you do not know something so simple? Surely even the blind light sided fools would have taught you something so basic." It was clear by her tone that, despite the words she spoke, she did not seem as confident. As if she could believe anything could come from the people she dubbed the blind lighted sided fools. Interesting, Mrs. Black could be a treasure trove of information if I approached it correctly. I should play up the fact that I was forced to live with muggles. I bet she would just about loose it with that little fact revealed. It would earn me some sympathy and she would ensure I was properly educated. I could sort out the facts from her biased opinion. Right now, I needed information and she certainly had some to share. It was simply a matter of using her notions of what was right and wrong and manipulating her with her emotional responses to get what I wanted. With that in mind I proceeded to tell her about my time with the Dursleys. It wasn't as if I had to exaggerate or anything. They truly were vile people and hated me and my magic. By the time I had finished, I could safely say that I had never seen so much fury on someone face before. If she was not a portrait, I am sure she would be teleporting off to the Dursley's home to skin them alive.

"How dare they" she said in complete and utter consternation. This must have been the sixth time she had said those same words. She muttered something under her breath in a language I couldn't understand and then looked at me with a piercing gaze. "It is good, you stopping what they were doing. I am proud that the heir to my house at least knows the place of muggles, If nothing else." She ended the statement with a frown on her face. "We must begin to teach you about the wizarding world immediately. You are completely unprepared. By now I would expect you to be able to have all of the etiquette and pedigree of a proper heir. While you can speak eloquently you do not have the necessary information to run with the circles you must in order to keep the family strong. I will be the first to admit that this family is not where I would want it to be. One of my son's is dead and the other is in Azkaban. My nieces…." She trailed off and got a look of annoyance on her face. "The ones that matter at least, are both married into well connected Pureblood families. So, we haven't completely faded. But the Black name must live on and now the future of that name falls to you. I will not allow you to fail" she said with finality. Her wording about her daughters who matter would have to be investigated. I got the distinct impression there was a tale to be told about the one or ones who didn't. Likely a disowning if I was getting the picture for how pureblood families operated. As I mulled things over she continued to speak.

"You will stay here while I teach you what you need to know. I will not have it any other way so don't even try to argue with me. I am inclined to end our conversation for now and let you get acquainted with the house. But before you settle in, I will make sure you know the differences between blood" she said dropping into what can best be described as a lecture mode. "There are three types of wizards in descending order: Pureblood, Half-Blood, and Mudblood, which the dammed light fools have now changed to Muggle-Born to not offend them" she said with a sneer. "As I am sure you have figured out, Purebloods are wizards that have at least one Pureblood parent and no lower than a Half-Blood parent. True Purebloods have not had any taint in their family but I am not going to pretend that there hasn't been mixing in every wizarding family because there has been at one point or another. So, no family can claim that anyway. We work with what we have. Now, Half-Bloods are those who have one Pureblood parent and a parent of lower birth, such as a Mudblood or dare I even think about it, a muggle. Finally, a Mudblood is one that has both muggle parents but has somehow stolen the gift of magic from somewhere. We do not know how they get magic, but it is a travesty that they are allowed to have it" she said, shaking her fist to make her position clear. "Do you understand?" she asked me.

"Yes, I believe I do. It isn't too hard" I said carefully. Then I took on a look of annoyance. "I assume that you look down upon me because I am a Half-Blood" I said slightly bitter.

"No. Not completely. I think that you blood isn't as pure as I would like but I can abide it. You father chose a mudblood to marry and while I do look down upon his choice, he made that choice and you are not responsible for his actions. Besides, you are powerful. I can tell that just by looking upon you. All I can do is ensure that you grow up to be a proper wizard and don't embrace muggle ideals" she said in a superior tone.

Fat chance of me embracing any such thing" I told her tensely. I had no desire to even associate with the world I was forced to grow up in. However, the wizarding world did need to advance in the technological department. The culture could stay the same for all I care. But if our world didn't catch up fast, the moment muggles got wind of us. And they would soon with their rapid advances. They won't understand us. Consequently, they would fear us and that fear would lead them to try and destroy us. If not through outright genocide, they may try to force us not to use our magic. I could not allow such a thing to happen, no matter the cost. As my thoughts began to ramble, I recovered and looked to the portrait once again.

"Going back to your earlier comment about me staying here. That was my plan anyway. After all, it is my house. However, the current state of the house is unacceptable. Isn't that thing that calls itself creature capable of keeping the house tidy. I thought that was his purpose?" I asked her. She gave me a small smile and simply said that I was at least learning to act my station. Then she gave the elf a sharp look. He seemed to shrink with her stare. It seemed he had thought we had forgot about him while we were deep in discussion. She told him to make this house livable at once. The small thing scurried away, no doubt to begin what I am sure would be a long process. She directed me to explore the house while the elf got everything ready. She also advised me that he would cook any meal I desired as he was fully capable of gathering ingredients from Diagon Alley if I gave him funds to do so.

With I discussion at an end for now, I began to explore the Black Ancestral Townhouse. The building was deceptively large. On the outside it would probably be only about two stories tall with a modest amount of room. However, I learned that it actually possessed four floors and was quite spacious indeed. There must be some kind of magic at work here. It could do wonders for conserving space apparently. The first floor consisted of the main hall, a dining room, a ballroom, and a living room. All were furnished with good furniture that had simply seen better days. Though the elf may be able to repair them like I did with some of the Dursleys broken things. I would have to see. At any rate, all could be replaced if need be. I did find some rather expensive looking china in the cabinet in the dining area. All had the Black family crest on them and were of exquisite quality. They were all grimy and disgusting but I am sure the elf was capable of getting them clean. I also noticed there seemed to be a sub-level which contained the kitchen as well as a healthy amount of storage space. As I moved back to the first floor I noticed a room off to the side that I had missed. It seemed to be some sort of drawing room.

The room was decorated similarly to the rest of the house, dark colors and a very cool atmosphere. As the room served to welcome guests I supposed it gave the right impression. Why should guests feel at home in someone else's domain. No, they should feel that they are here only because the owners allow it and they should understand whom their host are. The Black's seemed to have the right of this. They wanted to show everyone that they were powerful, rich and most importantly dark. The room had some expensive sofas and a rather grand fireplace. It had a view of the muggle street and provided a good amount of light from the outside to contrast the dark décor. But the main draw of the room that had me giving it more notice than others was the absolutely exquisite tapestry on the wall opposite the fireplace. It was clearly quite old and had a lot of history inside its depiction of the family lineage. It was extensive and wonderfully crafted. It seemed to depict the house of Black in its entirety. Ancient was a good term to describe the house based on this tapestry. I could see names and dates that ranged back to the Norman conquest. Each had a sketched portrait, save for some that seemed to have a scorch mark instead. These must have been the members that displeased their head of the family or his consort, as was the case with Sirius. I decided I would return here and memorize these names. It was good to know one's family after all.

I climbed the stairs to the second floor and was presented with several bedrooms, a very large bathroom which included a grand tub and finally a study. It was the last room that interested me the most. It was if something was calling out to my magic. As I entered the room, I felt…something. It was like a pull on my very core. As I tried to figure out what was causing it my eyes caught an object contained within a glass case. It appeared to be a necklace of some sort. What really caught my notice was the crest on the necklace. It consisted of a silver snake on a green shield. The snake had read eyes and I could see that it's fangs were protruding. I felt the urge to grab the object and I absent mindedly forced the glass doors apart via magic with a wave of my hand. Soon the necklace was in my hand I could feel a great warmth emanating from it. It almost felt like body heat. I could detect waves of energy coming from it, almost like it was alive. In fact, the rhythm of the pulses seemed eerily similar to a heartbeat. It was at this point that I realized it was not just a necklace but appeared to be a locket. It was currently closed but I could see the telltale clasp. I was curious what was inside but I was also getting the feeling that I shouldn't open it. I could not explain why though. In fact, I could feel only one thing towards this locket, _protect._ It seemed to be the only thought I could come up with. I needed to keep it safe, at least that is what it felt like. This whole experience was very unsettling and I decided I would investigate it further later and slipped the chain around my neck. My magic had not failed me yet and I would listen to it. If my magic wanted to protect this locket, then that is what I would do. Once it was firmly in place I got a very good feeling about it being there. This locket was clearly more than it seemed and I hoped that I hadn't made a huge mistake putting it on. But I had never felt something so right. My magic couldn't lie to me, could it?

A load crack brought me out of my thoughts. The elf, Creature, was standing before me and gave me a long bow. It seems that the house elves were capable of teleportation as well. Well that certainly made them very good servants. Perhaps they could also deliver things for me. I would have to look into that.

"Master, Creature has cleaned the downstairs of the house and it should be to master's liking. Creature has also repaired the damaged furnishings and stopped the creaking in the floors" he said. Then he started mumbling again in a low voice. "Creature is a good elf, creature does what mistress says and creature will do as the new heir commands, oh yes creature will." It was now clear to me what all of the muttering was. It appeared that the thing actually spoke all of its thoughts out load. That is….interesting. At any rate, I was actually quite pleased with his work. The dreary atmosphere was not quite as pronounced now that the dust had all been cleared. The downstairs still had a sort of old gothic feel to it, what with the stuffed heads and other grotesque decoration I had seen while exploring. But honestly, I kind of like it. It gave the place a sort of dark charm. After the Dursleys completely mundane, boring home décor, I could use a little eccentricity in my own home.

As I headed up to the third floor I could see there were more bedrooms, some sort of practice room, and my favorite room so far, a library. As I entered it I could tell that the Blacks certainly valued knowledge. The room was huge and contained thousands of books at the least. It seemed to have a good organizational system and I was pleased to note that it looked completely spotless. Either the elf had cleaned this area regularly or there were some sort of enchantments that kept it clean automatically. The later made sense as it would be important to not let such valuable things take on any kind of damage. Assuming it was possible, it would be frankly negligent not to use magic to preserve such things. I soon called out for Creature. I heard the familiar crack and the elf was now before me.

"Creature, I will be reading in here for the next few hours. I expect this house to be completely taken care of by the time I have finished" I told him sternly. If I could clean the entire Dursley house in two hours with my magic, surely a magical creature that existed solely for this sort of work could clean a house of this size with triple that time. For I intended to get lots of reading done. The elf looked at me and gave a stiff bow.

"Creature will ensure that the house is to master's standards" he said as he disappeared with a sharp crack. It was certainly interesting that he liked to teleport all over the house. I suppose those ancient stubby legs didn't work to good anymore. But never mind the strange elf. I had lots to learn so I better get started. I began to walk around the very large room. I could see the room had nearly a dozen bookshelves and each one seemed to center on one particular topic. As I examined the books titles I could see familiar topics such as history, astronomy, astrology, fictional literature for adults and children and what I could only surmise was etiquette and customs. The other shelves contained titles that seemed to include things such as curses, jinxes, hexes, and other terminology that didn't really make sense to me. Perhaps I would only be able to determine the purpose through reading some of the other material.

It was at this point that I noticed a large black tome sitting on a stand away from the others. The quality of the book was outstanding and it appeared as if it were brand new, which was certainly not the case for all the books here. The book was very thick and as I approached it I could now see the words "Index" emblazoned in gold lettering. I flipped open the large tome and discovered a large table of contents that provided with sections of study and then listed where a book in a particular area could be located. I noticed that it also had the books organized in different ways such as by author or by publication date. As I flipped through the pages I could also see that each book had its own page with other details such as how many pages it had, publication date, author, synopsis of what it entitled and what could best be described as keywords. This was certainly interesting, but a notable phrase caught my eye. It seemed that the book claimed to be "self-updating". What an interesting concept. I looked through the book until I found a page that described a book on curses. I approached the area the index indicated it lay and swapped the books' position with another in that section. When I came back to the index book, the text had indeed changed to indicate its new position on the shelf. It seemed this book was completely magical in nature and could change itself to circumstance. Magic truly could do some very useful things. I would definitely need to look into how that enchantment worked.

After sating my curiosity with the index book, I decided to use it to locate a book on an introduction to magical theory. It seemed the best place to start. The book directed me to _Fundamentals of Magic by Percival Urquart._ I sat down in one of the comfortable black leather sofas on the wings of the library to read. After a short introduction explaining what the book would cover, the author described his view on magical theory.

 _It is my goal to give an unbiassed, unfiltered assessment of magic. Explain its branches and sub-branches and classify its many mysteries and unravel the twisted tapestry that holds our world together…_

The author's goal seemed quite noble. Though I would hardly take his word for it that it was unbiased and unfiltered as he claimed was his intent. Everyone had their own biases. It was my plan to cross reference this material with others to see where they agreed and where they disagreed. Then I would form my own opinion on the subject. This was the basic tenant of critical thinking and I would be dammed if all I knew of magic was quoted straight from a textbook. I had not allowed such to occur during my studies in the muggle world and I certainly wouldn't do such a thing in _my new_ world.

After finishing the forward by the author, I moved to the first chapter: Branches of Magic.

 _Branches of Magic_

 _Branch of Transfiguration: transfiguration is the art of transforming one object into another. This type of magic is very precise and requires a great amount of visualization and intent. Those who love logic and the mechanics of the universe will excel in transfiguration as it requires rigid adherence to structure and conformity to strict patterns. There is very little margin of error in this branch of magic and thus it can be considered one of the most dangerous forms of magic to the caster_

 _Branch of Charms: charms are defined by the altering of an object's or creature's properties without altering the fundamental nature of the object. Charms are able to do things such as change color, weight, density, reflectiveness, friction, etc. Additionally, charms can give objects properties that may seem physically impossible such as making them hidden, bigger on the inside than on the outside, etc._

 _Branch of Potion Making: potions are liquids that have been imbued with magical properties, through the additions of magically active and inactive ingredients. Some would argue that potions are simply physical manifestations of the other two branches, but it is much easier to delineate potions into its own category since otherwise potions would have to be split by type and effect…._

I was hooked as I read the text. The rest of the chapter broke down the branches into their sub-branches. It described animate vs inanimate transfiguration, conjuring, vanishing, switching and described how the common notion of jinxes, hexes and curses being their own forms of magic was incorrect as they were all charms in the end. The chapter ended by recommending other books on each individual subject by the author and other authors that were deemed competent. Unbiased, indeed. Regardless, I found myself moving straight away into the next chapter which was titled: Alignment of Magic.

 _Every bit of magic has an alignment to it. These alignments determine the nature of the spell and also determines what is required of the caster to cast the spell. There are three alignments a spell can have. These include Light, Neutral and Dark. The vast majority of spells are neutral while fewer spells have the alignments of light and dark. Neutral spells generally require only intent to be successful. As with all magic, incantation and wand movements are optional (See Chapter 4: Non-Verbal Magic and Chapter 5: Wandless Magic for further explanation). By contrast, Dark and Light spells require an emotional component as well as a state of mind._

 _Of the two, Dark Spells are more well-known but are just as misunderstood as their light counterpart. In most texts you will see the definition of dark spells being summed up by their wielder's intent to harm. While this is generally true, it is not always the case. A more complex definition of such spells can be described as spells that require the baser emotions to be involved to function, such as anger, hate, envy, companionship, fear and sadness. Due to their connection to the baser emotions, dark spells are also very addictive when used as they physically stimulate the wielder's brain. An example of the most powerful dark spells is the Unforgivable Curses._

 _On the other side of the spectrum are Light Spells. These spells are characterized by their reliance on the higher emotions and states of mind such as peace, happiness, and self-actualization. Like the misconception that all Dark Spells cause harm, there is a misconception that all Light Spells are beneficial. While many do allow for beneficial enhancements and protections, Light spells can be used to harm, such as using other's connections to you to bind them to your service or using one's will to subdue the desires of others. While not controlling their actions, you can in a way rob them of their freedom nonetheless. A prominent example of the most powerful light spell is the Petronas Charm, which is fueled by joy._

The rest of the chapter consisted of examples of the different spells and their connection or lack of connection to emotional state. It also went on to describe different types of wands that worked well for the different alignments of magic. It was curious that it mentioned wands again. It seems most wizards required them to do magic properly. This seemed at odds with my own experience, as I had never required such a thing to do my magic. It had mentioned a chapter on wandless magic later on in the book, so perhaps my answers lie within those pages….

It was nearly dark when Creature disturbed my reading. I had learned much. The book I was reading indicated that only the most powerful wizards could summon controlled wandless magic and even then, they needed to keep using it or could lose the ability as they relied more heavily on their magical focus. Apparently, that focus of choice had become the wand in the last two centuries. It seemed that all the focus crafters agreed this was most stable and powerful focus instead of previous foci used such as pendants and staffs. The book additionally discussed that wandless magic, while just as strong as wand assisted magic was less precise. It was extremely difficult to perform complex transfiguration with wandless magic as an example. Furthermore, even if a powerful wizard could learn to perform such tasks without a wand, they would have a far easier time performing such spells with a wand and would expend less magical energy while doing so. The other thing the book discussed at length was the use of non-verbal spellcasting. It seemed that most spells had an incantation associated with them and that these incantations did not need to be spoken aloud nor did they have to be thought exactly as printed. The caster simply needed to understand the meaning behind an incantation and think about that while casting the spell. This all seemed quite intriguing and once I verified its validity through corroboration in other texts, I would base my learning around it. No matter what, I would hone my wandless abilities while also improving my abilities with a wand when I could get one at the age of 11, as the law forced. I had no desire to reveal myself to the ministry before I was ready after all. The second thing I knew is that I would use all of my spells non-verbally. The benefits were clear, and it would also show how powerful I was. I had no intention of pretending to be weak in front of others.

Creature asked if I would like some food and a growl from my stomach gave me the answer before I could even contemplate it. I gave Creature 200 galleons and asked that he fully restock the kitchen. I had dealt with the Dursley's underfeeding for long enough and I expected to eat like a king now that I was away from them. As Creature disappeared I decided now that I had finished the book I was engrossed in I would see to my sleeping arrangements. I proceeded to take the stairs to the final floor of the building and found two bedrooms at the top of the stairs. I went to the left one that had the words Regulus Arcturus Black. The bedroom was well furnished and would suit my needs nicely. I would have to remove the name on the top of the door as Regulus was no longer occupying the house. As an added bonus it seemed that the elf had been through this room and it was spotless. I flopped myself unceremoniously on the bed and allowed sleep to overcome me.

A few hours later Creature had returned and asked whether I wanted to eat in my new bedroom or come to the dining room. I felt that the dining room would be more appropriate and proceeded downstairs. I was actually quite impressed with the little elf's showing. The downstairs was not only completely clean, but the incessant creaking of the floors had been abated completely. All of the peeling wallpaper had been repaired and the rug appeared to either have been repaired or replaced entirely with a new duplicate. It was honestly hard to tell. The gothic aesthetic still stood strong in the home, but I still thought it was perfectly suitable and had no intention of changing it. I waltzed into the dining hall and saw a feast laid out before me. I could see mountains of different meat tastefully plated over beds of greens, mashed potatoes and gravy, various casserole dishes, sauces, and puddings completed the bounty. It was all delicious looking but seemed a little wasteful as it was far more food than I could possibly put away. A loud crack signaled the appearance of the elf.

"Creature was not sure what food Master liked, so Creature made many things and Master can tell Creature what is acceptable and what is not. Any leftovers can be preserved for other meals and then Creature will prepare more tailored meals for Master Harry" he said quickly noticing my somewhat bewildered expression.

"You have done a fine job Creature, thank you" I said, letting a small smile grace my lips. The elf beamed at me looking truly happy that he could have pleased his master. Ah if only my other servant could give me such an expression. Oh well I would just have to settle with Amicus' ability to kill my enemies as a consolation. Speaking of the serpent…

 _Ç I hope master plans on sharing some of the tasty meats since he denies me the no doubt tasty elf Ç_ was hissed behind me. Amicus slid into the room lazily as if he owned the place. Which was the right attitude that he should have considering that he was mine.

 _Ç Of course my friend, what kind of master would I be if I denied you yet again Ç_ I said with a small chuckle. After the exchange Amicus slithered into my lap and we both shared quite a delicious meal. I even allowed the elf to join us. It was important to keep him in my good graces if he were to be living with me. Kindness is often a better motivator than cruelty. Based on his mannerisms and the way Walburga's portrait had addressed him earlier, it was easy to see that purebloods typically treated their house elves somewhat poorly. I would not do such a thing unless he truly had displeased me in some way. He already knew to fear me. Constant reminders of this were not needed. All I needed now was for him to love me, for that would guarantee his undying loyalty.

After finishing dinner, or perhaps breakfast considering the actual time, I found that I was quite tired even though the sun would be coming up in a few hours. It seemed my schedule had been quite thrown off. It was of no consequence, I could simply start later tomorrow than I usually did. No doubt Walburga would want to start my education in pureblood etiquette. I shambled up the many stairs to my bedroom, with Amicus hot on my heals. It always amused me that he seemed to want to lay with me in bed even if he had already spent a significant time sleeping. Regardless, it was no bother. As loath I was to admit it I did enjoy having a companion to lay with at night and Amicus provided that for me. Perhaps it was childish but after being alone for so long, having someone even if it was just a snake did make me feel much more at ease.

 **Author's Notes:**

Well that is it for that chapter. I do very much apologize for the delay between updates. Several have asked that I update soon and well I had to disappoint them. Due to recent changes in the amount of time consumed with my job it has been hard to take the time to write. However, I would like to get back into this story albeit with a slightly more generous interval between chapters for me. So, I will now be releasing a chapter every other week on Friday instead of every week on Monday. I will do my best to meet this schedule.

A small note on genealogy. I am aware that in canon Dorea Black was not Harry's grandmother but was instead his distant aunt or something along those lines. I think her relations with the Potters is needlessly complex and the closer relation serves the story better.

Next chapter will have a significant time skip but my cynical, dark Harry might actually make a human friend. Who could it possibly be, I'm sure we all know. Next chapter: Meeting the Malfoy's.


	8. Chapter 6: Meeting the Malfoys

Series: Choosing a Darker Path

Book 1: Beginnings

Chapter 6: Meeting the Malfoys

 **Author's Notes:**

 _Ç Denotes the use of parseltongue Ç_

I apologize for the delay. I know I promised you this would be released on Friday. However, some technical issues and the holidays have caused a delay. To make up for it I have written an extra-long chapter to satisfy all the fans of the series.

A note on letter signatures featured in the chapter. Originally I attempted to use signature images that corresponded with the character's cannon signature but neither Archive of Our Own or support this. I considered converting the images into vector based image and then creating a true-type font from that but found that too tedious to do with all of the signatures that might be used in the story so I just decided to use a built in font that will give the necessary effect for a signature. It should serve the purpose just fine.

(See the end of the Chapter for more notes)

Darkness, it permeated the air around me. The cold old floors creaked underfoot. As I progressed through the silent halls, I could feel a sense of triumph. I would finally be getting away from this wretched place. This hellhole had been my home for many a year, with its cold exterior cloaking dozens of imbecilic violent children that no one wanted. And why would they? The children here knew nothing other than pure cruelty. If you did not fit in to their various clicks, you were to be scorned. I of course did not. Because I was special. That weird old man had said so himself when he came to deliver my letter. I was a wizard, I was better than the lot of them. And soon I would make my mark on the world. Both worlds. The old mundane one and the new fantastical one I was about to enter. Everyone would know me. While I detested the ordinary name I had been given, if Tom Marvolo Riddle was said with a mix of fear and awe, perhaps it wouldn't be so bad. As I was lost in my thoughts I passed by a mirror in the hall. The reflection was _wrong._ Everything about this was all wrong. With that singular thought the entire world collapsed as if it were made of glass and all that was left was darkness….

I woke with a start, bolting up into a sitting position. The thick expensive comforter sliding down my bare chest. My entire body shone with sweat. The air was thick and warm and as my breathing steadied I cursed softly. Every few nights I was met with these vivid dreams. Though to be honest I could hardly call them dreams. They were two real for that title. I knew about lucid dreaming which could feel real, but those dreams were fully under the control of the dreamer. The dreams I had were anything but controlled by me. I was just a first-person observer in their events. Additionally, the dreams did not have the typical inconsistencies one would find that made sense during the dream but would fall apart on later inspection. No this was no dream, the only thing I could conclude is that this was a memory.

Of course, that conclusion came with its own problems. Mainly that it wasn't me in the memory but another boy that was clearly from a different time based on his dress and the dress of others. How I could "remember" another boy's life was beyond me. There could be no logical explanation which generally meant that magic was involved. Over the course of the last two years I had learned quite a lot about magic and how unpredictable it was. While there were certain patters and appeared to be at least some rules it followed, every rule seemed to have an exception somewhere. It was a truly frustrating endeavor to quantify, categorize and explain magic or its results. Nonetheless, I could be very patient with a hard problem and I was sure given enough time I could solve it. I decided to put the memory of the boy Tom from my mind. Answers would come in time. Instead I began to look about my room. It had not changed much in my years of living here. It still bore Regulus' decidedly Slytherin décor and was in mostly the same layout. However, it did sport a few improvements. For one thing, the room had electric lighting. The entire house now boasted that. Remembering the fit that Walburga had thrown when I had made my intensions clear on that point still makes my head hurt.

She claimed I was destroying the house's purity by introducing muggleness to _her_ home. I pointed out that it was no longer her home but _mine_ and that I would use whatever muggle technology I liked. I had explained that even though they were beneath us, they still had managed to surpass us in the realm of technology and to me that was unacceptable. I pointed out that we should be superior in all things if we truly wanted to rule them and not let our fears cause us to be at a severe disadvantage. We had magic to meld with our technology. With such a boon, we should have wonders the muggles could barely fathom. Instead we had lagged in stagnation and had no advancements under our belt since the 19th century. It was utterly ridiculous. It had taken hours of back and forth but finally she relented and conceded that I may have a point. Honestly, I think the woman may have rather died than admit that she was wrong. Of course, preparing the house to look completely normal for the electrician had been a minor miracle, but Creature seemed to step up to the challenge.

A strain in my back caused me to stretch out and yawn. I decided it was best to get a start on the day. I hopped out of bed and walked towards the door to the en suite. The large expansive room had been added by Creature at my request. It was a very finely decorated room with marble floors and countertop. Its sink was inset into the counter and boasted motion activated soup dispenser and faucet. The shower located on the far wall was encased in frosted glass and was also equipped with advanced controls and multiple angled heads. Even with the expense it had been to install, it wasn't quite as ostentatious as the other bathrooms. So, I felt the expense wasn't too frivolous. I walked over to the sink and washed my face to clear the sweat away. I stepped back a few steps and smiled at the reflection I was met with. Indeed, my appearance had changed quite a bit. Years of proper nutrition had done wonders for my body allowing it to fill out more naturally than the skin and bones physique I used to possess. My skin was less pale, and I had some decent muscle definition for an 11-year-old. Hard days of training did tend to do that. My hair which used to stick up at odd angles and always had the appearance of a crow's nest had been cut short and now simply had a slightly spiked look to it. Finally, my avada green eyes, as Walburga was like to describe them, seemed to gleam with power.

Over the proceeding years I had learned many spells and while training my body I also trained my magic. I had dueled the magically animated practice dummies and soon moved on to dueling Creature. Eventually Creature even with his mangy magics was no challenge for me to defeat and I had him bring in a charms expert to create realistic illusions to duel against. These illusions could be programmed with many difficulties and could perform feats that humans simply could not, so I should be set for a while. Staying out of sight while the man worked was easy. It was a big house after all. My magical repertoire was extensive and true the promise I made myself I was able to cast my spells non-verbally. All my magic was wandless since I couldn't yet purchase a wand thanks to trying to keep a low profile and violating ministry regulations being more trouble than it was worth. I could wait.

While my magical aptitude had improved, I made it a point to also continue in my mental studies and could now do complex algebra, geometry, and was proficient in many science skills such as chemistry and biology. Those skills assisted me in one of my favorite magical pursuits, potions. Potions allowed for magical effects to be long lasting or even permanent depending on your goal. The delicate formulas and procedures were much more predictable than other forms of magic and thus was more tuned with my logical outlook on things. Regardless of my rapid advancement, I couldn't avoid attend Hogwarts. Even if I though I could teach myself everything, which I couldn't, the opportunities to form strong social bonds were too important to miss out on. If I wanted to change the Wizarding World for the better, I would need loyal allies who shared my ambitions. Thinking about Hogwarts caused me to look back to my room. Laying on the dresser in the corner was my Hogwarts acceptance letter. It brought a grimace to my face.

I had miscalculated. Well that isn't true. A more apt description of the situation I had gotten myself into was pure carelessness. I had forgotten to go back to the Dursley's in time and apparently the Hogwarts letter would find you wherever you were, not where the patrons of the school believed you to be. To be fair I had no way of knowing that. It wasn't mentioned in _Hogwarts: A History_ and I had no reason to suspect anything. I proceeded to walk back to the dresser and pick up the offending envelope. It had arrived yesterday, and I hadn't read it yet. I flipped it over and was met with the neatly scrawled text.

 _Mr. Harry James Potter_

 _Unpotable_

Thankfully the ancient wards of the Black ancestral home had blocked the letter. In fact, it hadn't even made it to the house. Creature had shown up with it and explained that it had been sent to the owl post box the Black's owned in Diagon Alley. It was unfortunate though because I was quite sure Dumbledore wouldn't have had his wards setup around Privet Drive to block whatever identification charm was used to pen these letters. So, they would know I was not at Privet Drive. It gave me some things to think about. I broke the wax seal bearing the crest of Hogwarts and extracted the pages of parchment from the envelope. I began to read the first page:

 _HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY_

 _Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore_

 _(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock of the Wizengamot,_

 _Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)_

 _Dear Mr. Potter,_

 _We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment._

 _Term begins on 1 September. We await your owl by no later than 31 July._

 _Yours sincerely,_

 _Minerva McGonagall_

 _Minerva McGonagall_

 _Deputy Headmistress_

As I finished the first page it was hard not to chuckle. Albus Dumbledore had a ridiculous number of titles. I had researched him a bit and I knew for a fact that he barely ever acted in his compacity of Chief Warlock or Supreme Mugwump. Honestly, how the man held on to three positions when two of them he neglected was beyond me. It was just more evidence of the rampant corruption the wizarding government seemed to be smothered in. I flipped to the next page to see what I would need to purchase in Diagon Alley and began to think how I would respond.

 _HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY_

 _UNIFORM_

 _First-year students will require:_

 _1\. Three sets of plain work robes (black)_

 _2\. One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear_

 _3\. One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)_

 _4\. One winter cloak (black, with silver fastenings)_

 _Please note that all pupil's clothes should carry name tags._

 _COURSE BOOKS_

 _All students should have a copy of each of the following:_

 _The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1)_

 _by Miranda Goshawk_

 _A History of Magic_

 _by Bathilda Bagshot_

 _Magical Theory_

 _by Adalbert Waffling_

 _A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration_

 _by Emeric Switch_

 _One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi_

 _by Phyllida Spore_

 _Magical Drafts and Potions_

 _by Arsenius Jigger_

 _Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them_

 _by Newt Scamander_

 _The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection_

 _by Quentin Trimble_

 _OTHER EQUIPMENT_

 _1 wand_

 _1 cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)_

 _1 set glass or crystal phials_

 _1 telescope_

 _1 set brass scales_

 _Students may also bring, if they desire, an owl OR a cat OR a toad._

 _PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS_

 _ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICK_

 _Yours sincerely,_

 _Lucinda Thomsonicle-Pocus_

 _Lucinda Thomsonicle-Pocus_

 _Chief Attendant of Witchcraft Provisions_

As I finished reading the second page I was deep in thought. It seemed none of the books on this list were in the Black library, excluding _Fantastic Beats and Where to Find Them_. I should know I had spent many hours a day there. It was odd though. Perhaps these other books were a little newer. It isn't as if the Library had been regularly updated and I couldn't send Creature out too much without drawing attention. Oh well. I would just have to purchase everything. It would likely not be too expensive, and I was more than capable of affording it. After finishing the letter, I thought about the fact that Amicus would demand to come, and the letter had not allowed for the bringing of snakes. However, there was one particular passage in _Hogwarts: A History_ that should allow me to get him into the castle. It had mentioned that the charter had provisioned for students to bring bonded familiars to the castle. The practice was for older students who formed such bonds. However, the book mentioned that the provision was rarely used nowadays as students typically didn't bond with familiars. These sorts of bonds were usually formed when the wizards were adults.

I walked over to my desk and flipped on the lamp that lay atop it. I grabbed the steel ball point pen, retrieved formal parchment and began to pen a letter back to the deputy headmistress with my neat handwriting.

 _Dear Deputy Headmistress Minerva McGonagall,_

 _I happily accept your most gracious offer of attendance to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I will be sure to obtain all mentioned supplies by the start of term. I did have one matter of concern. As you are no doubt aware the charter of Hogwarts allows for the admittance of any student's bonded familiar to the school. I have a bonded familiar that is not one of the animals listed in the acceptable animals section of the supply list. I would be fully willing to submit me and my familiar to the familiar bond diagnostic charm to assure you of the validity of my claim. Please advise me as to whether it would be more covenant for you to conduct any such test upon my arrival at the start of term or if an earlier appointment must be made. I look forward to hearing from you._

 _Sincerely,_

 _Harry Potter-Black_

 _Harry Potter-Black_

 _Heir to the Most Ancient and Honorable House of Potter_

 _Heir to the Most Ancient and Nobile House of Black_

I looked over the letter a few times. True they probably wouldn't expect the very formal writing for an 11-year-old that was supposedly raised by pig headed muggles. But alas I would not dumb myself down. Honestly, it was hard to even try. The dammed portrait had drilled formal writing into me during our etiquette lesions. She might actually cry if I wrote a poor letter after all the praise she heaped on me for learning so well. Apparently even Regulus, whom was good at everything she taught him, didn't have the formal letter penning down by my age. Regardless, I had no plans to change myself to fit the image they wanted. Let them think whatever they will. The same went for my titles, they were mine and this was a formal letter of acceptance. I would be proud of my heritage and would not shy away into the shadows. I was pretty confident that the charter excuse would work to get Amicus into the school. I may have to reveal my parseltongue ability to McGonagall and Dumbledore, if not the entire teaching staff to assure them that Amicus would pose no threat to the students. But I would have to simply cross that bridge when I came to it.

I grabbed an expensive envelope and placed my parchment into it. I then sealed the envelope with wax and stamped the insignia of the Potter crest into it using my heir ring. Once that was done I called for Creature. The elf dutifully appeared.

"What can Creature be doing for Master" he asked bowing.

"I have finished my reply to the Hogwarts letter you had brought me. Please take it back to the post box and have an owl deliver it to Hogwarts once it opens in a few hours. You shall be accompanying me to Diagon Alley next week to pick up supplies. I am thinking perhaps on my Birthday?" I inquired of the elf. I had been trying my best to foster independent thought in him. He was completely loyal to me by now, having served me faithfully for years. I always did try to treat him well and he seemed to appreciate it. He still gave me the odd expression upon hearing my request but was able to mask it quickly.

"Creature will defer to Master's judgement on such things" he said. He then held out his hand and I place the envelope into it.

"Would Master be liking breakfast up here, in the library or will Master grace me with his presence in the dining room this morning?" As he said his sarcastic remark he gave me a toothy grin. Ah. That is more like the servant I know. I liked a little feistiness.

"I suppose I could come to the dining room today" I said sweetly, offering him a smile.

The crack of Apparition was his only reply. Once he had departed, I headed into the bathroom to get ready for the day. I dropped my boxers and quickly stepped into the shower. I turned the several knobs required for the multiple sprayers and basked in the heat of the water. I closed my eyes as I thought of everything that needed doing. I of course would need to ensure I got into the correct house. I knew what house I would be in, Slytherin. It certainly wasn't the house that others would expect, and some idiots would swear I was the next dark lord right then and there. I mean they may be right, but they still had no reason to judge me by my sorting. I would like to imagine that even if I wasn't a dark wizard, I would be ambitious and cunning enough to be in Slytherin regardless. That was another thing that had come with time learning magic. I was about as dark as any wizard could be.

I could still remember the first time I had experienced dark magic. Just thinking about it caused my body to give a shiver. The first spell was simple, it was called the blood boiling curse. Its incantation is singuineulcus and it is quite good at disabling your opponent with excruciating pain as the temperature of the blood in the area you target raises rapidly to the boiling point. The minor curse can become major if you hold your concentration on it until the magic spreads to their entire bloodstream. It can be quite lethal. Casting such a curse caused euphoria that is almost indescribable. The first book on magic was correct, the dark arts are alluring and addicting. Since trying out that first curse I had progressed to be able to cast a lot of other dark magic. However, I had regulated my use as when you use it a lot you can be noticed by some diagnostic charms. While I wanted to be a dark wizard openly, it simply wasn't possible right now. I would change that though, no matter what….

It was the morning of my birthday and I was a bit antsy. Today would be the first day the wizarding world would meet the great Harry Potter. For 10 years I had been hidden away, whether by my own intention or the machinations of others. But now it was time for me to reveal myself and begin my plans. The day would likely be uneventful. I may be able to meet some children that would be attending school with me and possibly plant the seeds of friendship. However, it was unlikely to be anything more than a meet and greet with a few potential allies. Many people would already have gotten their supplies, many more would procrastinate until later dates and even the one's that would be in the Alley today would be busy shopping. As I was lost in thought and absent mindedly poking my bacon with a silver fork, Amicus chose that moment to appear.

 _Ç Hello Master. It is a fine morning isn't it? Ç_ He hissed in an amenable tone. Well someone was cheery.

 _Ç What has you in such a cheerful mood. It is too early to be cheerful my friend Ç_ I said in a faux exasperation.

 _Ç You wound me Master. How am I not to be cheerful on my Master's day of birth. It will be a day to remembered by all after all soon enough Ç_ he informed me, mockery lacing his voice as he proceeded to deposit himself onto my lap.

 _Ç First of all, it may indeed be a day to be remembered and/or feared, I haven't quite decided yet. Besides that, you are too heavy for this Ç_ I said with a chuckle. It was true. The serpent had become enormous. He was now nearly 8 feet long and slightly under a foot in diameter. He would not be ending his growth any time soon unfortunately. It would be soon that I would have to implore the use of shrinking charms if he intended to hound me as he is like to do. I had discovered within the first few weeks of study what my familiar was. He was a basilisk, the most feared of magical serpents. It is a little poetic that he would become my familiar. It also now made sense the abilities I now possessed thanks to the bonding. Basilisk were famed for their superior senses, their thick hide bestowing great magical and physical resilience and most infamously their deadly stare. They also possessed some of the deadliest venom, but this was a less well-known fact. While Amicus seemed to possess all his other abilities, his death stare was apparently something that he wouldn't develop for a while yet. He was still rather young when considering the long life of a basilisk.

After breakfast and taming of snakes was finished, I walked back to my room and prepared myself for the day. I decided to wear a casual outfit for the day. It would be hot, and I rather hated the day robes of wizards. I chose a short sleeved expensive grey silk button down shirt with the subtle hints of green flame around the waist. I tucked the shirt into dark blue jeans and put on a pair of black trainers with flat white soles. I then selected a fine black leather belt with a silver buckle. The finale piece of my wardrobe was resting within my nightstand protected by several wards, the locket. I still hadn't been able to open it but I just felt that wearing it was the right thing to do. It was obviously uncomfortable to sleep with it on or I just might have with how right my magic reacted with it.

A good boon for me was that there seemed to be a fashion overall taking place in the wizarding world, at least among the young. It seemed that young withes and wizards had taken on some of the muggle style of clothing, not the most casual wear but at least some of the "dressier" cloths such as button-down shirts, dress slacks and high-quality jeans. The only casual wear item that younger witches and wizards seemed to wear as well were trainers. It had even become evident among pureblood wizards, displeasing many of the older generations whom preferred the _perfection_ of the day wizarding wears. Walburga would drone on endlessly about the annoyance of younger purebloods taking on even the tiniest of muggle styles. I found that it not only helped me to not be suffocated by stuffy clothing but also allowed for in roads to introduce other common muggle things that I felt the wizarding world could adopt.

Just as I had finished getting ready, a crack signaled the arrival of Creature. Just as I was about to instruct him to follow me to Diagon Alley to start our shopping trip, he pulled out a parchment envelope with the Hogwarts crest.

"Creature apologizes Master" he said as he bowed. "But a letter arrived at the box from Hogwarts" he said stiffly. He knew how annoyed I had been at not receiving a response from them. Honestly, I found it to be quite rude that it would take them so long to respond. The Deputy no doubt was busy with start of term approaching and I could forgive a few days delay with that in mind, but a week. That was completely unacceptable. It wasn't as if it was muggle post where letters took a long time. Magical owls could achieve very high air speed and could get a letter from one end of the country to the other within a day or two at most.

"Please hand me that Creature" I said simply. He nodded handing me the envelope. I walked over to the desk and pulled a fine letter opener from the desk drawer. Breaking the seal, I pulled the parchment sheet from its confines. I unfolded it and began to read.

 _HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY_

 _Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore_

 _(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock of the Wizengamot,_

 _Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)_

 _Dear Heir Potter-Black,_

 _I must sincerely apologize for the delay in correspondence. I am very distracted with the preparation for the coming term and needed to discuss your request with the Headmaster before I could form a reply with the due authority. Upon review of the Hogwarts charter, you are correct in your assessment of the regulations governing magical familiars. Based on your knowledge of such an obscure provision of the school, I have no doubt that you are aware of its disuse of late. Regardless, the regulation is clear, and we will accept the attendance of your familiar. We are eager to see what unique animal you have bonded with and are very pleased that you displayed the necessary ability to obtain such a creature. I can assure you that our Care of Magical Creature professor, Silvanus Kettleburn, was most enthused when he learned about the situation when it was brought up at the staff meeting for the Headmaster's review._

 _As to your allusions to ensure validity, we assure that is most unnecessary. Professor Kettleburn is more than capable of determining the nature of the bond though observation alone. He will evaluate your claim upon your arrival at the start of term._

 _Yours sincerely,_

 _Minerva McGonagall_

 _Minerva McGonagall_

 _Deputy Headmistress_

As I finished the letter, I was less worried about the headmistress. Based on her words, she did apologize, and she had the foresight to address me as station dictated which while not exactly required in correspondence, was generally expected by any pureblood families. No doubt she was aware of this as she regularly communicated with lords and ladies of noble houses when discussing their children during the course of her duties. I was pleased that they had accepted Amicus' attendance without too much of a fuss. While the provision was in the charter, generally the Headmaster still had a lot of leeway. It helped that they had no idea what my familiar was, no doubt. If this professor Kettleburn was as good as McGonagall claimed than he would know what Amicus was upon sight, so there was no point in deception there. I would have to ask for a private audience to demonstrate I had control over my familiar. There was no reason for my ability to speak Parseltongue to leave the castle and once I got assurances from the staff that it would not, I could depend on their word until such time that they showed they were untrustworthy. Of course, Dumbledore had already demonstrated he was not trustworthy, but such details would have to be looked later. For now, I had to get a move on.

"Creature, we must depart" I said simply. He nodded and disappeared to the drawing room. It had already been decided that I would floo to the Leaky Cauldron. Technically, apparition was not legal for underage wizards as they could not obtain a license until they had reached majority. Walburga had said as much when I informed her of my proficiency in the skill. She found it as annoying as I did and made it clear that she thought that if idiots managed to splinch themselves into oblivion, than that was there problem and not in the interest of the Ministry to punish those who did not have such failings. I was inclined to agree with that sentiment. I proceeded down the stairwell to the first floor to meet Creature. Amicus was rather put out by the fact that I told him he could not attend today. He would have to get over it. He was far too difficult to deal with until I could determine the best course of concealment in public places. Besides I had bestowed a gift of many rodents upon him, Creature had collected them of course, but Amicus seemed satisfied with the gesture. In no time I was grabbing powder for the floo as Creature dutifully waited nearby. I threw the powder into the fireplace and it caused green flames to erupt. I walked into them and clearly stated Diagon Alley. A spinning sensation overtook me and soon I found myself within the confines of the Leaky Cauldron. The flames erupted again signaling the arrival of my companion.

It was around 10:00 AM when we arrived and there were many onlookers in the pub. It fell into complete and utter silence when they noticed my arrival. It seemed that many of the witches and wizards were stunned by the sudden arrival of the Boy Who Lived. It was a consequence of my short hair style that my scar was very visible. Oh well, today was the day of my unveiling after all. After a few moments a flurry of activity erupted as they all fell over themselves to rush at me. Many of them babbling out greetings and thanks for my saving them. Fools, the lot of them. But alas I needed to present a perfect mask of friendly bashfulness. I accept their inane drivel with graciousness. I shook hands and even signed a young boy's outstretched bit of parchment. I gave him an actual genuine smile because he was honestly too young to know any better and it was his parents that should have not encouraged such sycophantic behavior. But it was all fine in the end. If they worshiped me, it would be easier to manipulate them and would be even more satisfying when they started to fear me. After the throngs of people had begun to thin I made my way over to the bar. The man I recognized as Tom gave me a toothless grin. I could also see another man dressed in black robes off to the side with a odd sense of head fashion, if I was not mistaken it was a purple turban. He seemed to be excited to talk to me, but Tom beat him to it.

"Mr. Potter, welcome back" he said with sheer joy in his voice. "My name is Tom and I run this fine establishment. Please know that you are always welcome here free of charge and anything you require I will do my best to oblige you" he said sincerely.

"While I appreciate your fine gesture sir. I assure you that I am no popper and such a thing could not be abided by me. I always pay for things when payment is called for" I stated to him in a light tone. He seemed to be conflicted at my words but seemed to make up his mind and bow his head in acknowledgement.

"If you say so Mr. Potter. You are most gracious indeed" he said. This I could handle. The other fools hounded me with fervor, but Tom simply gave what he thought was his due respect and did not argue with my request. It was at this point that I noticed a shift in the man I had seen earlier. Where once there was complete excitement, now was cool neutrality. He had a calculating look about his face. Interesting. It seemed that he had noticed that the other people completely hounding me had annoyed me and my insistence that Tom not offer me something so lavish as free room and board whenever I wished as a sign that he needed to approach me with a different tactic. He clearly wanted something. Well let's find out what that was. I approached him and held out my hand with a polite smile on my face.

"Hello sir, you seemed to want to introduce yourself, so I figured I would save you the trouble" I said politely. "I assume you already know who I am, but it is only polite to introduce oneself anyway. My name is Harry Potter-Black."

"Mr. P-p-potter-Black?" he inquired. Taking my offered hand in his own gloved one.

"Oh yes. While I have not official changed it, I intend to honor both families I am a member of." I informed him.

"Well Mr. p-p…" he started. I cut him off as politely as I could.

"Just Harry is fine if you please" I told him.

"H-Harry then. My n-name is Q-quirinus Q-qquirrell. Prof-fessor of D-defense Ag-gainst the Dark Arts at H—Hogwarts" he finished, barely getting his words out. It was clearly not nerves that was making this man stutter. Some sort of speech impediment perhaps? Surely any half-baked wizard could solve something so minor. This would get annoying fast. I had to extract myself from this conversation. It had outlived its usefulness and my curiosity about the man's shift in behavior did not warrant bearing him for too long. Outwardly I kept a smile on my face.

"Well Professor it is indeed nice to meet you. I am sure that term will be interesting. However, I must…"

"O-fff C-Course H-harrry, I did n-not wish t-tt-o dely you f-from your sh-o-pp-ing" he said cutting me off. What luck I had that he didn't try to converse with me longer.

"Well until term than Professor" I said by way of goodbye. I gave a small smile to Tom and then proceeded to venture forth with a simple "come Creature" by way of instruction for my elf.

As I walked out into the courtyard behind the pub, I had the distinct impression that Defense Against the Dark Arts would be a tiring subject, with that stuttering idiot at the helm. That stuttering was quite annoying to be honest. I casually placed my finger on the required brick and forced magic into it. The brick wall soon melted away to reveal Diagon Alley in all its bustling glory. The last time I was here in person was my first time. I had been to Gringotts in the intervening time but that was through the use of the floo directly to my account manager's office. All shopping needed doing had been done by Creature. The alley was more interesting when all the shops were open to be sure. I could see various street vendors selling the magical oddity here or there. Throngs of people were shuffling about making their necessary purchases gave the hole place a busy atmosphere. I decided the most efficient course of action was to get my school robes first. I could get them fitted and they could adjust them and get them ready while I made my other purchases. I walked down the alley for a while until I came to a shop that advertised that they were the official supplier for Hogwarts robes. So, I soon entered _Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions._

I entered the shop and was stuck with how small it was. Its cramped confines were stuffed with several racks of clothing. All seemed to be of wizarding fashion and all proclaimed some charmed enhancement. The wall to the left of the shop was lined with shelving containing hats, gloves, and shoes. To the right sat a counter and I could see several paper bags with nametags on them, likely other purchase orders. Just as I noticed a small doorway at the back of a shop a short elderly woman with a kind face stepped out of it. She wore large purple robes and old fashioned spectacles lay atop her wrinkled nose. Seeing me, she smiled and opened her harms in a welcome gesture.

"Hello Dear, Hogwarts robes for you today?" she asked in a chipper tone. I was annoyed with her calling me dear. It made me feel my age which was not at all how I wanted to be viewed. However, I showed none of my annoyance and gave her a shy smile.

"Yes Madam. If you would be so kind to take my measurements I would be most grateful" in as sweet a tone as I could muster. At my words, she beamed at me.

"Oh, such a polite young man, certainly. I am currently fitting another boy in the back, but my assistant and I can certainly work with two at once. Come along please" she said, beckoning me towards her.

"Creature stay here and find me the highest quality pair of Dragon Hide gloves, a fine winter cloak, and grab the simple black hat mentioned in the list. I intend to not be hurting my hands while making any potions and my pair from home is getting a little worn. Make sure the hat it is off good quality, but I could care less what it really looks like, I don't really intend to wear it" I told him in a commanding tone.

"Of course, master Harry" he said quickly bowing and scampering towards the left wall. With that taken care of, I followed the woman towards a back room lined with mirrors and various supplies to help with fitting robes. It was at this point I noticed the other boy she had referred to. He was facing away from me and already had the robes on. A young woman whom I assumed to be the assistant mentioned by the elder lady had mentioned was working on pinning off the ending of his formal slacks. He was tall for an 11-year old and possessed a slender build. The boy had a somewhat pale complexion and his pale blond hair was slicked back stylishly. The elder woman gestured for me to step onto the platform directly to the right of the similar one the boy was standing on. She was just about to pull a black robe off the rack behind her when she suddenly gasped. It seemed she had just noticed the scar on my forehead.

"My word you are Harry Potter" she said shocked. Her powers of perception were quite lacking in my opinion. Perhaps her poor vision wasn't completely corrected by her glasses. I heard a shifting to my side and it was evident the boy had turned to watch our interaction.

"Yes, I am madam. Though I am afraid you have me at a disadvantage here" I said in a playful tone.

"Oh heavens how rude of me. I am terrible sorry Mr. Potter. My name is Madam Matilda Malkin, I run the shop here" she said quickly. Clearly embarrassed by her oversight.

"It is quite alright Madam. Everyone forgets themselves sometimes. And it is Potter-Black if you please" I said giving her my best charming smile. She looked quite shocked and then her eyes seemed to catch the glint of the two heir rings on my hand.

"Oh, I apologize again my dear, I am afraid I was not aware of the connection" she said simply. I waved off her concerns. At that moment something seemed to twitch in her eye.

"Oh, blast it all. So many customers today" she said in a huff. "Celia, can you handle both boys for me? I have to get back to the front" she said as a quick explanation. Interesting, it seemed the door was charmed to alert her of new customers coming in. A useful feature in a shop to be sure.

"Of course, Madam" the young woman replied and motioned for Madam Malkin to proceed. The store owner quickly shuffled towards the front to greet the new customer closing some sort of curtain behind her. I turned to the face the boy on the other stool and for a split second I could see his mouth hanging open in clear awe until he quickly schooled his features.

"Hello. So, you are Harry Potter…-Black?" he said hesitantly. He seemed to also notice the heir rings and at once realization dawned on him. "Off course I knew about the connection to the Potters. Mother was a Black after all. But I didn't know you were the closest remaining relative. What with Sirius in Azkaban and all" he said quickly. While he was trying to portray the snooty pureblood, I could hear underpinnings of nerves. He was clearly excited to meet me it seemed. His efforts of masking this were not too bad, and I applauded him for the effort. He also seemed friendly enough and could be a potential ally. Based on his looks there was no doubt to which family he belonged giving me the info I needed to pinpoint his mother as well. I learned my family's history quite thoroughly. Walburga had stressed these sorts of things when dealing with other pureblood wizards. However, assuming things was impolite.

"Not many do know of the connection and yes I am the heir. I was named such before Sirius went away" I said quickly. "And you are…" I trailed off.

"Oh" he said quickly clearly realizing he had forgot the pureblood custom. "I'm Malfoy, Draco Malfoy."

"Nice to meet you" I said cheerfully. "You can call me by my first name if you would like" I said giving him the customary curtesy and held out my hand for him to shake.

"Nice to meet you as well Harry, and the same to you" he said as he eagerly took my hand and gave me a big smirk. "I suppose you are going to Hogwarts then, obviously" he said drawing out the word.

"Obviously" I drawled matching his tone and returning his smile.

"Well it's good to know. I thought they might sequester you away or something. No one has seen or heard from you in years you know. It is great that a lot of the good sort of wizards are heading to school this year. I don't know how many of the other sort are going to be there. I hope it isn't too many" He said and seemed to realize he may have said something wrong. It was clear he was referring to muggleborns or as I am sure he was taught mudbloods. I would need to be careful how I phrased this to him. I could tell that he could make a good friend and possible ally. His family had a lot of influence and would that resource would be crucial to any of my efforts. Besides this boy was pleasant to talk to and was clearly smarter than an average 11-year old. He had some childish flaws where he forgot himself, but he clearly was doing his best and he would get better. He would could make good friend material. I would take a middle of the road approach.

"I'm sure you mean those who don't have any wizarding parentage. I understand your trepidation with them. They don't our ways and muggles….fear and misunderstand us when they find out" I said carefully. "However, not all of them are so out of touch and I have read that many do try to assimilate into the culture. Some even have superb magical talents. My mother was of course one as you no doubt know. I will try to reserve my judgement until they prove themselves one way or another to me" I said by way of closing. As I finished speaking I could see the wheels turning in his pale grayish-blue eyes. As I watched him considering my words I noticed that he had quite a handsome face with sharp features. Those combined with his height gave him an older appearance than he was.

"I can see your point of view Harry. I am sorry I didn't mean to imply that your mother was inferior in some way. By all accounts she was a very talented witch and did integrate as you put it. While I still think that sort is on the whole not right and honestly shouldn't be let in. But I will give it a shot if you would be willing to be a friend" he said slowly.

"A comprise then" I said arching my eyebrows and giving him a sly smirk. "A fair proposal…I suppose I could accept that" I said in a haughty tone. He gave in indignant look, but his eyes told the real story of his amusement.

"It's a deal then" he said giving me a small smile. The young woman who had been finishing Draco's fitting, trying to ignore our conversation and be professional chose that moment to speak.

"All done Heir Malfoy" she said simply. Draco hopped off the platform and started removed the pinned Hogwarts robe. Underneath he was wearing a black silk button down shirt. He then proceeded towards the door but he turned around quickly.

"Hey Harry, since we're friends and all now. How about you accompany me and my parents during our shopping. It would be much more fun I think" he said hesitantly. He clearly was hoping I would accept. I suppose it beat shopping alone and it would give me some more human interaction, which I had obviously been lacking. Creature was fine and all but frankly while he had gotten better over the years, he was still a bit crazy.

"I would be happy to accompany you Draco. After all, it would be nice to meet one of my distant cousins" I said with a small chuckle.

"Oh, mother is great. I think you will like her" he said with sincerity. "And while we shop, you can tell me where in Merlin you have been all these years. I will wait out here for you to finish your fitting" he said as he walked out of the room. It took nearly 10 minutes for the assistant to finish my fitting but once it was complete she told me that the order would be ready by the end of the day. She also informed me that if I wanted any special charms placed on the robes I should mention them to Madam Malkin. I bid her goodbye and headed towards the front. As I walked out I noticed Draco with a beautiful middle-aged woman standing next to him. Creature could be seen hanging off to the side with a bag that likely contained my other purchases. He was nervously hopping from one foot to another. It was clear that the woman had been asking him questions he couldn't answer due to my explicit orders and his lack of answers had clearly annoyed the woman as she had a consternated look upon her face. However, upon seeing me it morphed quickly into a small smile as I approached. The woman was tall and lithe in build. Her long flowing blonde hair cast down her slim fitting dark black robes which cut off to reveal large black stylish boots. Her eyes were pure blue, and she had a cool air about her. As I approached, Draco hopped off the wall he was leaning on and confronted me.

"Finally, you are done" Draco told me with a little wine in his voice, clearly acting his age.

"I am sure the wait has utterly destroyed you Draco" I said, sarcasm lacing my voice.

"It did. You have no idea" he said in a mock serious tone. "Anyway, enough about that. Harry this is my mother Lady Narcissa Malfoy née Black. Mother may I present to you the most honorable Heir Potter-Black" he said giving a mock bow and a sweeping gesture.

"Draco, I think that is quite enough" she said by way of light scolding of his antics. With that finished, she turned to me and gave an apprising look. After a moment she seemed satisfied. "Hello Heir Potter-Black. As my son has so _graciously_ informed you I am indeed Lady Narcissa Malfoy. However, I do hope you could simply call me Narcissa. We our family after all, are we not?"

"We are indeed Narcissa and I would hope you could simply call me Harry. It makes things much less formal" I said with a smile. She nodded approvingly and gave me a genuinely warm smile.

"Yes, it certainly does Harry. I am glad to see at least some of the children in the wizarding world can remember their manners." As she said this she gave her son a quick glare. Draco gave her a sheepish look and a mumbled "Sorry Mother". Narcissa's eyes then roamed back to me and she gave a small gesture towards Creature. "Harry, I can't help but notice Creature seems to have accompanied you. I must apologize for speaking to him without your consent. I was not aware at the time that he was bound to your service. I had never really mentioned him to Draco, so he was not aware he was with you either. He seemed to be quite evasive with me on what he was doing here other than being with you. Which I must say stuck me as strange, but now knowing that you are the heir to the House of Black it does seem to fit some pieces together. Am I to assume you are currently residing at the Ancestral home?" She phrased her inquiry in quite a neutral way. But I was good at reading people and I could see the probing question for what it was. She was attempting to gather information on me. It was subtle, but I could see she was in protective mode and wanted to know everything there was about Draco's new friend. I decided to indulge her. Her question was a valid one and she had already put it together anyway.

"You would be correct. That is my current place of residence. Creature here is to help carry my things. He could also pop off to the house if I need anything. It is useful to bring an elf when you shop, I think" I told her. "I assume that you were assisting Draco by picking up other supplies while he was getting robes?" I asked her.

"Well yes, I had hoped to examine a few wands at Ollivander's. Alas the man insisted that Draco be there to even look. He said it was pointless without him" she said with clear annoyance about being denied such a simple thing. It was at this point Draco decided to jump into the conversation.

"Father is next door grabbing my schoolbooks. I was hoping since you said you would accompany us we could drag them to look at racing brooms. I bet I can bully him into getting him to buy me one and I will smuggle it into the castle. I think it is stupid that first years can't have their own brooms" he said with indignation. Then he seemed to form an idea and gave a wicked grin. "You could buy one too and we could both sneak them in" he said rubbing his hands together.

"You can try to get your father to cave in to your demands, little Dragon" Narcissa said with clear amusement in her voice. Draco's cheeks tinged red at his mention of his mother's apparent pet name for him. It was frankly an adorable little name that I am sure I could use as a weapon against him. His embarrassment told me such a pet name must annoy him to no end. It was clear he wanted to impress me as his new friend and he didn't find his mother's actions to be in line with that goal. Thus, it seemed he wanted to move on quickly from that subject.

"Have you flown any brooms Harry?" he asked curiously.

"Afraid not. I have not had the opportunity" I said in simple reply.

"Part of the mysterious past I expect you to tell me about" he told me sternly. His attempt to look intimidating was quite adorable. I could help him there I am sure.

"Perhaps in private…" I told him vaguely. At this point I turned to Madam Malkin whom was behind the counter fiddling with something. I cleared my throat and she shot up quickly to address me.

"Terribly sorry Heir Potter-Black. Is there something else I can do for you?" she asked quickly.

"Yes, if you would be so kind to add self-ironing, simple cleaning, and impervious charms to my robes that would be greatly appreciated. Your assistant informed me you could have it ready by the afternoon?"

"We absolutely can. It will be off no issue to have those charms applied. It will increase the price though" she replied.

"I expected as much. It is no issue" I told her simply. With that I motioned for Creature to follow me and started towards the door. "Should we go meet your father then Draco?" He gave me a smile and a clear "Finally" expression and started to head out with me, Narcissa trailing behind her son. It was a short trip over to the bookshop a few feet away. _Flourish and Blots_ was written on the sign and there was a small poster stating that all Hogwarts schoolbooks were available. As we walked towards the door Draco was making excited chit chat with me.

"So, Harry do you know what house you will be in?" he asked animatedly.

"Slytherin, obviously" I drawled giving him a smirk.

"Oh really?" he challenged. "I know I will be in Slytherin. Family has been in it for generations. What makes you so sure you will get in? As far as I am aware you family has been nothing but Gryffindor for at least the last 60 years or so" he pointed out. "Even then, the only deviation was a few Ravenclaws if I remember right" he continued.

"I know I will be in Slytherin because the other houses will not serve my mighty ambitions" I said in a superior tone. "For I am the great and noble Harry Potter after all" I said in mock arrogance. He seemed to catch on to the game quickly and played along.

"Oh yes. Harry Potter the wise and powerful. I must bow down to the new lord Hufflepuff" he smirked.

"Not in your wildest fantasies Malfoy" I said with a grin. The banter continued, much to the clear mirth of Narcissa, and we entered the bookstore. It was a very large space with shelves that reached to the ceiling stacked with books. It was about the same size as the Black Library in fact. Various witches and wizards were leading around their children procuring this book or that. Books were floating from shelf to shelf and arranging themselves. The most interesting spectacle however was a long line of similar books neatly stacking themselves into groups on a shelf that had signage for each Hogwarts year. They would neatly drop themselves if someone were to approach and hold their basket out. It was all quite efficient.

As I walked through the shop, it was clear whom Draco's father was. Lord Malfoy was a very tall man with a cold grace about him. He had sharp pointed looks just like his son and had very similar hair to his wife's except where her hair was a dark blonde, his was plantroom boarding on white. He wore fine black robes, expensive formal shoes, and was twirling a long dark cane with a bone handle carved snake head. Draco jogged up towards him to see what he was doing. He greeted his father quickly. His father appeared to be occupied haggling over the price of a very large black tome with the shopkeeper.

"Father will you just pay the price the man is asking" Draco whined. "We have more important things to do and I have someone for you to meet" he said excitedly, clearly ignoring his father's annoyed look at the interruption to his negation. He seemed ready to scold his son and continue with the shopkeeper when he saw me and Narcissa approaching. His eyes instantly found my scar and quick as a snake a first full of galleons slammed onto the counter and the eldest Malfoy strode quickly over to us with Draco in tow.

"Hello loving husband" Narcissa said to him as he approached.

"My Lady" he nodded to his wife and fixed me with his calculating stare. "And you must be Harry Potter. Your scar is legendary of course. It seems you have accompanied my family on this fine day" he said in hushed tone.

"And there is no doubt that you are Lord Malfoy. Draco seemed quite eager for us to meet sir" I replied in a neutral tone. "And if you would allow, it is actually Harry Potter-Black. I was named Sirius Black's heir shortly before his incarceration and I wish to honor all my family heritage. Me and your lovely wife are distant cousins it appears" I told him.

"Really now?" he said with genuine curiosity. "Well if you are family please simply call me Lucius. I would most gracious if you would allow me to call you by your name in turn" he stretched out his hand. Taking his hand, I replied that his offer was acceptable.

"I must purchase my books quickly, but Draco has asked me to accompany your family as we both shop for our various needs for school" I told Lucius. "If that is agreeable to you both as well?" I inquired.

"Of course. Why don't you get your schoolbooks and once that is done we could head for lunch since it is approaching the noon hour. We could talk and then finish our shopping thereafter" he offered.

"That seems like a good plan Lucius. I could use some good food. The Leaky Cauldron does offer private rooms. While not the most upscale establishment, the others have ears as you well know" I said to him seriously.

"All too well. It is curious how you would know such a thing, but I suppose I can find that out" he said with a chuckle. Soon enough, we found ourselves in a private parlor in a back room of the Leaky Cauldron. I watched as Lucius made the complex gestures required to construct a privacy ward around the room just in case. I thought it was a prudent measure. I had yet to be able to perform such magic. Ward construction was complex and taxing with a wand, but it was notoriously even more difficult and draining to perform wandlessly. Food had already been bought and me and Draco had made more small talk. Draco had wondered what quidditch team I supported. He was quite put out when I simply told him that sports did not interest me in the slightest. Once some of the food had been eaten it was Narcissa that took the subject serious.

"Harry, as I am sure you are quite aware the Black household does not have anyone living relatives there. So, I am most curious whom is caring for you" she said, making it clear it wasn't really a request. The thing was there was real concern behind her words. There was of course the usefulness of information but the way she asked the question implied she really wanted to be sure a member of her family was safe. It was somewhat touching really. The blacks had always valued their family above all else after all. I stared at her considering my next words. The truth may actually serve me here with the right prepping.

"I will answer your question Narcissa with another question. I pose the same question to everyone here actually. What do you know of where I have been all these years, seemingly nowhere to be found?"

"Nobody really knows" Draco piped up quickly. "Father said that Dumbledore had stowed you away in some safehouse somewhere. At least that was what was shared with the ministry" he finished.

"Oh, did you now Lucius?" I asked in a amused tone. By the look on Lucius' face he was not pleased that his son would blab his private conversations with a relative stranger. The thing was while Draco was older than me by a few months, he was less mature and less wise to what should and should not be shared. Circumstance had seen fit that I grow more mature much quicker. Had I not, I doubt I would have survived the Dursley's treatment, even with magic's assistance.

"Yes Harry. That is what he said anyway. However, I have my doubts now" he said.

"What would you bring you to such a conclusion, if I may ask?"

"It is simple really Harry. It is well known that I was involved with the Dark Lord during the war and while I maintain my innocence due to the compulsion of the Imperious Curse, Dumbledore is not convinced of such. Consequently, I fear he would be most displeased that we are even sharing this meal together. If he truly was storing you somewhere than you would have been accompanied today by one of his many lackeys I am sure. It would be imperative to him that you didn't have any sort of civil interactions with those he deemed _unworthy_ " he said with clear disdain for that notion. Lucius was certainly observant. I looked to Draco who was listening intently. I due hope you turn out to be as witted as your father. If you are you will be a valuable ally and if you are as sweet as your mother perhaps we will truly be friends. It was a nice thought at least. I quickly shifted my gaze back to Lucius.

"I commend you for your preceptive insight Lucius. I will share with you some vital key information that may just unlock a few doors in the maze that is my life if you swear to me on your life and magic, all three of you in fact, that what I say will not leave this room without my giving you leave to tell it. Such information could be dangerous in the wrong hands. While I want you all to know me, I cannot simply trust you yet. Trust will come with time" I said hoping they would understand the reason for such a bold request. Lucius and Narcissa looked conflicted but Draco he had nothing but determination in his eyes.

"I want to be your friend Harry and friends should trust each other. Hopefully if I trust you now you can trust me later" he said simply. Then he placed his right hand up and began to speak the vow. "I Draco Lucius Malfoy swear on my life and magic that I will not reveal the information that Harry James Potter-Black shares with me in this room, ending when we depart today, unless he gives me explicit permission to do so" he said clearly and slowly, considering each word given the seriousness of what he was doing. A flash of light swirled around him to seal the vow. To say that Lucius and Narcissa were shocked was an understatement. Concern was written on Narcissa's face and anger was on Lucius, but there was something hidden beneath it. It was hard to place but I could swear it was a flash of pride in his son for such a bold and decisive move. The anger was from the fact it could actually be quite foolish to make vows like that with little thought. After a small silent standoff, they both seemed to sigh at the same moment and followed their son's example.

So, for the next hour I told the Malfoys the story of my life. I omitted details of my uses of magic. I used vague terms and allowed them to fill in the gaps with their own interpretations of what was done. I did not inform them of Amicus or my ability to speak parseltongue. That would be for later. But even with these missing details it was the most I had told another living being about what went on in the first 8 years of my life. Walburga's portrait really didn't count since she was not living and I had learned that she was bound to secrecy on any family secrets with non-family as all portraits in the black home were. To say the Malfoys were shocked by my tale was quite an understatement. Lucius had simply a calculating look on his face but Narcissa had a look of pure fury, not unlike the look that Walburga had given. She looked a lot like her aunt right then.

"Once we are done here I think it most prudent to skin those muggle scum alive" she declared in her temperamental fury. It was then that I looked at Draco and I was surprised to see the same fire burning in his eyes. The softer features of his face were more visible in his face right then and I could see he was his mother's son just as much as his father's. This was somewhat shocking to me. Narcissa I could understand, she viewed us as family. This was the case without even really knowing me. Also, I knew maternal instincts were surfacing here. But Draco's reaction was a true mystery. He did not know me, and he was just an 11-year old kid. He had made it clear that he wanted to be my friend but such emotion as I saw does not come with the abstract stories of someone you barely know. The level of emotion he was displaying was as if I had grown up with him and been his closest companion. Since this wasn't the case, I really didn't know how to quantify his reaction. I would have to reflect on this later.

"Narcissa as much as I appreciate the spirit of your words, such things cannot be done. I still need them to keep Dumbledore at bay. I can easily manipulate them into lessoning his influence over me. As my magical guardian, he has a lot of power here. But in the muggle world he has none if the Dursleys fight him. That can be very advantages to me. The Dursleys will be dealt with I assure you. But I will deal with them when their use runs out" I said seriously. She seemed to deflate somewhat and nodded her head in understanding.

"Harry…." Draco asked softly. I turned to him and saw that same look of determination when he had given me his vow of silence. "When the time comes, however long that will be, would you allow me to help you?" he asked with a pleading expression. The look he gave me was oddly pleasing to me. I wanted him to feel strongly towards me and such loyalty would be very useful. He also could be a great friend so I granted his request.

"So, to answer your original question Narcissa. I have been on my own for the last two years assuming you don't count Creature here. I gestured to the elf whom stood firm at the side of the table. I do count him. He takes care of me well enough" I said truthfully. The little thing had done its job well and had lifted the heavy burden of mundane tasks from me. He had allowed me to worry less about keeping the space clean and meals cooked and had given me more time to delve into what I truly wished to know. He had been my most faithful servant and that deserved recognition.

"I understand Harry" she said softly. She then turned to Lucius to give him a significant look. As good as I am at reading people, I honestly had no idea what that look meant. But Lucius seemed to know as if a silent conversation had taken place. He turned to me and gave me the first genuine smile of the day.

"We would like for you to stay with us for the rest of the summer if you would be willing. Family should stick together and Narcissa would murder me in cold blood if I didn't offer our home to you for you use whenever you need it" he said with a genuine laugh. Narcissa gave him a playful glare before he continued. "Besides it would give you and Draco time to get to know each other before term starts" he said looking to his son. The look of pure joy on Draco's face told me exactly what he thought of such a prospect. I considered this carefully. I looked to Creature and he immediately spoke.

"Master Creature will keep the house and all within taken care of while you are gone. However, Creature fears for his own safety if you do not return home to explain where you have gone and why" he said with genuine terror. Oh yes Amicus might just eat him to spite me if I didn't explain why I would need to depart for a whole month. I truly was dreading that conversation. But this was essential. It would help me, and Draco build a long-lasting friendship and I could further ender myself to the House of Malfoy giving me powerful allies. There really was no other choice. I gave all three Malfoy's a genuine smile. At the Malfoys confused looks I quickly replied.

"He is referring to the lovely portrait of Walburga and her wraith" I said lightly. "Thank you for your gracious invitation. I would be most honored to stay in your home until term starts" I informed them. We soon departed the Leaky Cauldron. The heavy feeling that had entangled itself in the room at the Leaky Cauldron broke upon exiting. It seemed that my acceptance to stay with them had allowed the Malfoys to put off thinking about the Dursleys for now. Narcissa seemed satisfied that they would get what they deserved eventually, and Lucius deferred to his wife in matters of her family it seemed. Draco was harder to pinpoint. Either my promise to him had sated him or the prospect of getting to show me quidditch and flying as he excitedly told me he was wanting to do when we got back to his manner had allowed him to forget the heavy subject.

We quickly gathered all of the ingredients needed for potions, high quality silver cauldrons and very accurate tools and scales. The Malfoy's were surprised when I informed them I wouldn't be caught dead purchasing such inferior equipment for potion making. Lucius had commented that they got Draco a cauldron of silver because it had been recommended by the Hogwarts potions master Professor Snape whom had a close relationship with the boy due to his role as his Godfather. They informed me that they did not understand the reasoning behind it as neither of them were very versed in the subject. My love for the subject was on full display as I explained the reasoning behind the requested cauldron. Pewter cauldrons were the most durable for accidents during potion making, they were also the cheapest when having to replaced melted ones. It was only practical for remedial study of potions. However, such durability came at a cost of quality. The potions made from them were not as potent as ones made with silver. Gold was even better at potency but could not stand up to certain potions and was meant for specific brews only. The rest of the day was spent getting the other various miscellaneous supplies we would need. The trunks would have to wait as both me and Draco had very specific custom orders that we wanted done and time was running out for the day.

Finally, we came upon the last and most important shop of the day, _Ollivander's._ As we entered the shop, a small bell sounded. Ollivander's was a small dusty shop and was quite cramped. With the four of us inside we were shoulder to shoulder in front of the large wooden counter. Behind it lay rows and rows of boxes that lay atop great shelves stretching up to the top of the high ceiling. Soon a sliding sound could be heard from the back and at a blinding speed a latter sprang fourth carrying a very elderly man. He had wild white hair and his eyes seemed to glow in the lightly lit shop. He carefully stepped down from his latter and gave us all a piercing look. I didn't like the man one bit on seeing him. His eyes seemed to sharp, to calculating, to cunning. This man was not someone to be trifled with. I could feel magic rolling off him in waves. Something was definitely off about him.

"Ah Lord and Lady Malfoy, come to get your young Heir his own wand I see" he said In a quite wispy voice. He raked his eyes over the three blondes before they landed on me. "Curious that Harry Potter would have such companions. Indeed, I was wondering when you would be coming here Mr. Potter" he continued quickly. I cleared my throat and gave him a challenging look.

"Heir Potter-Black, Mr. Ollivander I presume" I said in a cool voice. He met my challenge with a smile that was not kind at all. "Ah, my mistake Heir Potter-Black" he said not sounding sorry in the least. "Indeed, my name is Garrick Ollivander and I run this fine establishment" he said with pride in his voice. He then quickly tuned to Draco. "Heir Malfoy why don't we begin with you hmmm…"So proceeded a short wait as Draco tried various wands. A few humorous reactions later, with my personal favorite being the lighting of a small fire on the mans desk, Draco was presented with his wand when a shower of colored sparks erupted form it. The wand was 10" long and made from Hawthorn wood with a Unicorn Hair as its core. I clapped along with his parents and was very pleased to learn that the wand that had "chosen" Draco meant he would be a talented wizard if Ollivander's explanation was accurate.

Soon it was my turn. Ollivander started to hand me wands and wands and more wands. None of them did anything. Oh, they could have done something if I dared wave them. but their magic felt wrong and even when I was instructed to wave it about, I refused. I simply gave him a challenging look and said a simple "No, next wand please". He seemed to grow frustrated and when he placed a very long wand into my hand that felt as if it was burning on the inside he demanded I give it a wave this time. I sighed and acquiesced if only to get to my true wand faster. I gave the wand a flick trying to will my magic to create a small light. Instead the entire back window exploded and showered my companions with glass. Thankfully Lucius had acted quickly and put up a shield just in time. I gave Ollivander an annoyed look but he just smiled sardonically.

"Tricky customer you are Heir Potter-Black?" he said in a sickly-sweet voice. The man seemed to actually enjoy putting others in danger with his antics. Lucius was not amused and was now glaring daggers at Ollivander. The wandmaker ignored it. I decided it was time to show this man that I was not someone to be played with.

"My sincerest apologies Mr. Ollivander. I seemed to have destroyed your window" I said with a smirk on my face showing I was not sorry at all. He met my expression with a gleam in his eye.

"No, no it is no trouble at all. It is easily fixed. I can take care of it later" he informed me.

"Do not trouble yourself. I can fix it" giving him a piercing look. My eyes never left his and the look on his face was a mix between fear and awe as he must have seen them glow as I gathered magic within me. I waved my hand behind my back and willed my magic to flow to every bit of glass in the room. I knew it had worked when all three Malfoys behind me gasped and I heard the cracking noise as glass fused back together. I gave a quick glance over my shoulder and saw a look of pure admiration in Draco's eyes as I spied a perfectly whole shop window. I gave him a charming smile which caused him to blush for some reason. Turning back to Ollivander I could see an appraising look on his aged face. His mangled hair shadowed his eyes as he leaned closer to me.

"Well aren't we full of surprises. I think I know exactly the wand that will pick you" he said ominously. With unnatural speed and grace for a man of his appearance he quickly hopped onto the latter and soared down the row of wand boxes knocking several over on his trip. Soon enough he returned, deciding to walk very slowly and haggardly. His theatrics were becoming quite grading on my nerves. As he approached he was carrying a very ornate looking black box. He pulled out a dark wand that seemed a bit longer than Draco's. Its brown surface shone in the dim light and I could instantly feel the pulsing magic coming from it. I could also feel the pull on my magic. That was definitely my wand. I would have it no matter what. He set it on the table and stared directly at me and spoke in a high whisper that seemed to carry throughout the shop.

"11.5" made of Holly wood with a Phoenix Feather core. I most unusual combination. While I do not think the wood suits you as much, the core is what will determine whether you can wield this wand. Why don't you try it" he said as he laid it atop the wooden counter. I reached out slowly for it a smirk plastered on my face. As my hand enclosed it I felt a bolt of energy shoot up my arm and my magic began to stir. I pointed it up in the air and felt the waves of magic begin to roll of its tip as my core slammed power into it and the wand began to disperse it. I wanted to show this man my true power. His eyes told me he knew too much about me, he was too observant and too clever for his own good. He needed to fear me and understand that if he goes against me I will put him down. I gave him a feral smile as red light began to wash over the shop. At the same time vibrations seemed to cascade throughout the building and I could hear the telltale strain of wood and rumble of stone as the building attempted to withstand the onslaught of energy assaulting its every corner. The magic then began to pulse with waves of violet and I could hear the cracking of glass. The boxes of wands began to tumble down in synchronization starting far back and racing towards our position at alarming speed. Just as the ceiling wood began to splinter I slashed my wand through the air and pointed it straight to the ground causing everything to freeze. It was a little concerning that I was not really in control of anything I was doing but the look of terror that crossed the mans face would stick with me for a good long while and gave me the confidence to allow my magic to continue with whatever it deemed necessary here.

Another surge of power shot through the wand and it almost seemed as time were revesing itself as all of the damage caused began to mend with alarming speed. Within a few seconds everything seemed to be back in place, as if nothing had occurred at all. I looked to Ollivander and calmly informed him that I seemed to have found my wand. He was about to speak but then seemed to backtrack on what he was planning to say. He then cleared his throat and looked to me with a face of neutrality and gave me a stiff nod.

"A most…impressive display of power young Heir. Most curious indeed" he said vaguely. His expression morphing into one of smug satisfaction. Great he was going to make me have to say it. Fine old man, I will indulge you.

"Please do tell me what curiosity you have found" I drawled. He gave me a grin and let his voice drop to that eerie whisper he seemed to be so good at.

"It is just most curious that you should be destined for this wand in particular. For the Phoenix that gave its feather for this wand gave one more feather, just one" he said tapping his finger on the desk to drive his point home. "The other wand that the feather resides in the wand of the one whom gave you that scar" he said gravely. "I suspect we can expect great things from you Heir Potter-Black. For the He who must not be named did great things, terrible but great…."

 **Author's Notes:** Well there you have it. I hope everyone enjoyed that chapter. I hope I didn't make Harry too over the top. I was trying to show how Harry thinks when confronted with opposition. He was worried Ollivander would reveal something that would derail his plans and tried to preempt that. Did he succeed. We will just have to wait and see. Next chapter, we see Harry and Draco finally head off to Hogwarts. I know it has been a long journey, but I felt the buildup was needed to explain character motivation in this AU. Please tell me what you all thought. Your feedback is always appreciated.

Find out how Harry reacts to meeting a new factor he did not anticipate. How does he contend with the other students? How can he try to put everything in place for his grand plan? Find out in the next chapter: "Platform 9¾".


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